In Case Of Emergency, Call Abby
by Alex Beckett
Summary: Abby Sciuto is living two lives-one at NCIS, and one outside it that nobody else knows about, and she is happy. What happens when something goes terribly wrong, and one life collides with the other? Will everything spiral out of control before Abby can talk about her secrets, or will she be able to catch herself in time?
1. The Beginning

**Disclaimer: I own only what I make up.**

* * *

Abigail "Abby" Aria Sciuto had always considered herself to be a smart person. A little strange because she marched to her own drum and spent many of her childhood hours wandering through junkyards to investigate damaged cars just for fun, but still quite smart.

She did, after all, grow up to be a forensic scientist with a total of three degrees. She also worked with the best people she'd ever known in her entire life, and together, they worked on chasing down an extra special brand of bad guy. Working for NCIS could be very scary at times, but she wouldn't trade it for anything else, especially when she thought about how protective she and her team were of each other. Her friends were her life, her family. She could never imagine working anywhere else.

But now, because of a 'hiccup' she'd recently experienced, Abby was on the front stoop of Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs' house, positively soaked to the bone from getting caught in the rain pour that had started just as she'd exited the taxicab that had dropped her off, and she was beginning to question her life choices, and just how smart she actually was.

* * *

"Gibbs?" Abby called out as she entered and closed the door behind her. "Are you here? It's Abby, and I came here because I don't want to be alone and..."

Overwhelmed by the heaviness of her situation, Abby dropped the overnight bag she'd been carrying and broke down into tears. Her family, her actual family that had adopted her when she was a baby and raised her, was all the way down in Louisiana. She wanted very much to be with them at her childhood home of Number 18 Willoughby Place in Jefferson Parish, but up here, seeking out Gibbs at his house, which was a safe haven, was the next best thing. However, now that she had arrived, her floodgates were crashing open.

"Abby?"

She just about jumped out of her skin at the sound of her name being spoken, but that was because it had been said by the last person she was expecting—Director Jennifer "Jenny" Maeve Shepard had appeared in the front hall, having come in from the kitchen, and to top it all off, she was was wearing pajamas, a dressing gown, and slippers. In a word, Abby felt like her brain was melting.

"D-Director Shepard?" Abby stammered. "What are you doing here, dressed like that? Where is Gibbs?"

Realizing immediately that Abby was in some kind of trouble and that she was definitely distraught, especially because she had yet to move out of the darkened front hall, Jenny decided to be patient.

"I stay the night here sometimes, but please keep that to yourself. As for Jethro, he's down in the basement, working on the boat and probably didn't hear you because he's kind of in La La Land right now."

Abby couldn't help herself and asked, "Why's that?"

Jenny deflected Abby's question by taking a small step backwards into the living room and beckoning to her. "Why don't you come join me over in the light, Abby? Just leave your bag there there."

"Promise you won't judge me?"

"I promise I won't judge you." Jenny beckoned to her a second time. "Come on."

Stepping out of her rain boots, Abby walked from the hall to where Jenny was waiting.

When Jenny saw Abby, she finally understood why the younger woman had hid in the shadows—not only because was completely soaked from the rainstorm, but also because she looked like she'd been crying recently. She also had a darkening hand-shaped bruise across the right side of her face, lips, and chin.

She'd been hit.

Someone had hit her.

Someone had hit Abby.

Feeling horrified, Jenny called over her shoulder towards the basement, "Leroy! Get up here!" before turning back to Abby.

"Who did this to you?"

Abby just shook her head, feeling embarrassed and ashamed of what she was going to have to say. At the same time, Gibbs rushed up from the basement, having dropped everything at the sound of Jenny's tone.

Upon arrival, and upon seeing the sorry state that his favorite forensic scientist was in, his heart sank.

"Abs? What happened?"

Abby just shivered and rubbed hands on her arms, trying to keep warm. "S-so cold, G-Gibbs."

Working together, Gibbs and Jenny helped Abby out of her scarf, mittens, and jacket so she didn't overheat. When Gibbs found her a clean sweatshirt and a clean pair of sweatpants to wear, Abby accepted them gratefully. By the time she finished, she wasn't crying as much anymore, and felt like she was able to talk again.

"I guess I owe you two an explanation, huh?"

She said this as she sat on the couch in the living room couch with Gibbs and Jenny, the latter of whom wrapped a warm blanket around her.

"We're definitely not going to turn you away," Jenny said gently. "But we really like to know what's going on."

"And who hurt you." Gibbs added.

Abby took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "I started seeing someone a little while ago, and I haven't said anything because this was my first very serious relationship in a very long time, and I just wanted to keep things to myself."

"That's completely understandable." Jenny sympathized.

Abby's eyes filled with tears. "I really loved him..."

Gibbs reached over and wiped Abby's tears. "What's this guy's name?"

"Lieutenant Onyx Clarkson."

Gibbs' eyebrows shot up. "He's a lieutenant? On what ship?"

"Actually, it's more like file clerk at Fort Runnymede in D.C.. He used to serve on the _U.S.S. Nevada."_

"The ship that sank about three years ago after being torpedoed by pirates in the East Indian Ocean?"

Abby nodded. "Onyx was on its last mission before it sank, and when it docked here again, he was transferred to Fort Runnymede."

"What happened between you and the lieutenant?"

"We got into a really bad fight, and we broke up."

Now it was Jenny's eyebrows that shot up. "That still gives him no right to hurt you."

"I know, and I'm in shock because I've never been in a relationship that was even remotely violent. I just couldn't be alone tonight, and I didn't know where else to go."

Gibbs leaned over and gave Abby a fatherly kiss on the temple. "You're welcome to stay with us tonight, but just say the word, and I'll go find Clarkson."

"That's appreciated, Gibbs, but please don't!"

"Give me one good reason why not."

"Onyx has kids."

On Abby's other side, Jenny felt her curiosity pique. "Oh, really?"

Abby bobbed her head in confirmation and dug her phone out of her pocket. After a moment of searching, she settled on one picture in particular and settled on one picture in particular before giving the phone to Jenny.

"Here you go, director."

"Please, Abby—off the clock, it's Jenny," the director said as she put on her reading glasses and accepted the phone. "But who is _this?"_

Her words came out in a coo, and with reason—she was looking at a picture of an adorable little girl, whom, much to her surprise, had a rounded face, freckles abounding across the bridge of her nose and jet-black hair; she already looked like a miniature version of Abby. Atop her hair, she wore what looked like an antenna headband that went with the bumblebee costume that she was wearing. She was grinning into the camera, although in a comical way—she was both showing all of her teeth and wrinkling the bridge of her nose while also squinting so hard at the camera that you couldn't see her eyes at all.

"That's Rubyjane—she has a double name, but it's all one word, and sometimes I call her Ruby or RJ. She's a real love, and she turns three on Christmas." explained Abby. "She saw us fight and begged me to take her with, but of course, I couldn't, and now I don't know if I'll ever see her again."

Jenny passed the phone to Gibbs to let him see the picture and gave Abby a back rub, in between her shoulder blades to give her something to focus on.

"Where's her mother?"

"As I understand it, her name was Mara, and she was an ex-girlfriend of Onyx's who showed on his doorstep with a brand new RJ, in between coming back from the Nevada and his transfer to Fort Runnymede."

"How brand new _was_ RJ?"

"Like, less than a month old. RJ _is_ his daughter, that's for sure, but when Mara found out Onyx was back, she brought Ruby around to meet him."

Gibbs handed Abby back her phone. "But...?"

Abby pocketed her phone again. "But according to Onyx, he left the room for just a few minutes, and when he returned, Mara was gone, but Ruby was still there. Mara abandoned her at Onyx's place, and completely relinquished her custody."

"Where the hell did Mara go?"

"She turned out to be an addict, and she was found a month later, dead in a seedy part of Bloomingdale. Ruby has never known Mara, but it's just as well—Ruby paid the price for her mother's addiction."

"I'm almost afraid to ask how."

"Rubyjane is remarkably bright and loves to play dress-up, but she's almost completely deaf. Onyx wasn't able to afford hearing aides for her until she was almost two, though, so it's been almost a year since she's had them."

"Is she able to speak?"

"Yes, and she's very friendly, but a little bit loud, because she's still learning about things like indoor voices. She's also a very fast learner, so I've been teaching her how to sign."

Feeling overwhelmed by emotion again, Abby leaned back and quieted, gathering her thoughts. Gibbs and Jenny both felt like parents to the younger woman in that particular moment, more than they ever had before, but for as much as she had just told them, they had a feeling that Abby wasn't done yet.

After a few beats of silence, Jenny inquired, "You said that Onyx has kids, and in more than one; where is the second?"

Fingers trembling slightly, Abby framed her middle with one hand and pointed to it with her other.

"In here, not ready to be interrupted by the world until early May, at the very latest."

Jenny congratulated Abby and then hugged her for a moment. "We'll take care of you—the whole team will—but Jethro and I will look after you in the way that parents do since yours are in New Orleans."

Abby withdrew from the hug, her bottom lip wobbling. "Thank you, Jenny. That's more than I could have hoped for, and I'm so grateful."

"You are very welcome, Abby."

Gibbs reached over and tapped Abby gently on the shoulder.

Turning, Abby saw Gibbs' blue eyes looking deep into her own blue eyes. He didn't have to say anything—she knew him so well that she knew exactly what he was thinking.

"You want to know if I'm excited to be a mom, and you want to know what Onyx and I fought about."

"Yes."

"I'm over the moon to be a mom—I'd always meant to settle down with the right guy, get married, and have a few kids, but before I knew it, I was married to my job instead, and there was no time for kids. Rubyjane has taught me in her ways to stop and smell the roses."

"Does she know that she's going to be a big sister?"

Abby shook her head. "No. The only person who knows that I'm pregnant besides you two is Ziva, and that's only because she heard me retching in the bathroom yesterday morning. She helped me through it and even took me out to lunch later, but she's been covering for me ever since."

Bemused, Jenny commented, "Ziva's a good person like that."

"Uh-huh." Abby took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "My fight with Onyx was about the baby: I told him I want to keep it, and he freaked the hell out and said something awful."

"Which was?"

"He didn't even want RJ to begin with and took her in because he didn't have a choice, but also that there's no way he's going to be involved this time, even financially."

"Abby, abandoning his child, even if it hasn't been born yet, is _already_ a crime."

Abby gave another shaky sigh. "I know, but I still to talk to him at least one more time."

"Promise us you'll be careful?"

"I promise."

"Good girl." Jenny gave Abby another back rub. "Now—are you hungry?"

"Yes." Abby admitted.

"So am I." Jenny turned to Gibbs. "What about you?"

Gibbs nodded and stood to get the house phone, in its cradle on the other side of the room. "Yes, actually. How does pizza sound? The tab's on me."

Neither Abby nor Jenny had any objections.

* * *

Abby got very sleepy after dinner, even though it was only eight-thirty. Gibbs made up the spare bedroom for her, and after she bid him and Jenny both good night, she was asleep twenty minutes later, worn out by the events of the evening.

Gibbs and Jenny remained awake for a few more hours, although the conversation eventually turndown back to their house guest.

"When are we going to tell the team that we're together?" Gibbs asked. "I'm glad we are, but Abby knows now. Telling everyone else also means that I have to nix Rule 12. I've never nixed a rule before."

Jenny stretched out on the couch and put her feet up on the coffee table. "Hopefully, it's at the same time that we get to tell them that Abby's baby is getting a playmate from us."

It was true—Jenny and Gibbs had chosen to give things another go between them, and not long after, they found out that their love had made a baby. They were shocked because neither of them were exactly young, but once they were able to wrap their minds around it, they became excited. In fact, Jenny was in the process of packing things up at her house and moving in with Gibbs. Life couldn't be better for either of them.

"Deal." Gibbs agreed. "Our kid is going to be born into such a weird family, though."

"Definitely, but for as weird as everyone is, there's also more than enough love to go around. I couldn't ask for anything more than that."

"Neither could I, Jen. Neither could I."

* * *

The next morning, Abby woke with very little morning sickness, which was a relief, because she had no idea what the day was going to bring. If she was going to have another encounter with Onyx, the last thing she needed was to leave during their conversation so she could go vomit.

Abby had always found that getting dolled up when she was feeling down always cheered her up, and today was no exception. For starters, instead of wearing her usual black and white color scheme, she'd packed her favorite red tea dress with the purple polka dot pattern. On her legs were her favorite black tights with skull and crossbones all over them, a gift from Gibbs the previous Christmas. And instead of her standard fishtail braids, today she went for two top buns and bangs. She also went with her usual makeup scheme, thankful that the foundation and the dark lipstick did a very nice job of covering up the handprint that Onyx had left on her face. As for her accessories, she went with a black spiked collar and a matching pair of spiked bracelets. She was also wearing a pair of black buckle-up platform boots, telling herself that she should get as much use out if them as she could before she had to switch to a better type of shoe. But all in all, by the time Abby was finished getting dressed, she was feeling like herself again.

As Abby prepared to leave her bedroom, her overnight bag full again and the bed made, she caught of her baby bump in the mirror. She was twelve weeks along and sporting a bump, although its true size was obscured by the way her dress was designed.

Abby glided a hand over her bump, her heart skipping a beat when she felt how taut her skin was underneath her dress. Inspired, she looked down at her bump and spoke to it.

"I'm really sorry about how crazy things have been, but no matter what happens, I do love you."

The baby wasn't big enough to kick yet, but Abby could most certainly felt the wiggling, and she took that as reassurance that everything was going to be okay.

Down in the kitchen, Abby found Gibbs and Jenny in the kitchen—she was at the table, reading the newspaper, while he was at the stove, making something that smelled like oatmeal. Abby was also sure that that was toast cooking in the toaster.

"Good morning!" Abby said in a singsong voice as she sat down at the table.

"You're in a good mood." Jenny remarked in amusement, folding her newspaper closed and laying it down. "Feeling better, too, I see."

"Still sore from where Onyx hit me, but yes!"

"Abs," Gibbs said as he turned around from the stove. "How do you take your oatmeal?"

"With just a little bit of cinnamon stirred in! Thanks, Gibbs!"

"You're welcome." He turned back to the stove and began making her a bowl. "Sleep good?"

Abby nodded, even though Gibbs' back was to her. "I did—I think I all I needed was being near two people who will protect me and my family."

"We will always protect you, Abby. You're as good as our kid." Gibbs laid Abby's breakfast on the table in front of her. "Now eat up, hm?"

Abby thanked him and happily tucked in.

* * *

Abby rode to NCIS with Gibbs and Jenny, and things were normal between the three of them until they got to the elevator. Instead of going down to her lab, she continued on, seeing Gibbs off at the squad room before continuing up towards the catwalk level with Jenny.

Halfway there, Abby flipped the 'stop elevator' switch, bringing the lift to a halt.

Jenny was taken aback because Gibbs was the only one who did that to her. "Okay, Abby, you've got my attention. What's up?"

The goth put her hands on her hips and gave Jenny a sassy look. "When were you going to tell me that you're part of the 'older mom club,' too? We're only six years apart, you and me."

Jenny gave the expression of having her thunder stolen and a tone to match. "But how did you know? We were going to wait to tell everyone!"

Abby's heart jumped, and she clapped her hands together, now fit to burst with joy. "Ooo! You and Gibbs...?"

"Yes to all of that, but please don't tell anyone."

"I won't." Abby said promptly before turning sly. "And I figured it out because you had a tell, director."

Jenny's hands dropped to her middle, which, under her winter coat, was just sheltering her baby belly. But only just.

"Go ahead and tell me."

"It was the oatmeal—you don't like oatmeal."

"How did you know that?"

Abby gave Jenny a cheeky grin. "I'm a scientist with triple degrees—I'm very observant, especially when it comes to people I care about."

"Then that's that." Jenny chuckled.

"Uh-huh! Is it okay if I hug you?"

"Of course!"

The two friends hugged and after Abby started the lift up again, she waved goodbye to Jenny and finally pressed the down button for her lab.

She had only just gotten settled in her office and turned on her music when she noticed McGee enter, a confused look on his face and a gift bag in hand. All of a sudden, Abby felt like she was going to cry—she'd quite enjoyed the night she'd spent at the Gibbs-Shepard house because Gibbs and Jenny were surrogate parents, but McGee was her best friend in the whole world and she hadn't realized until then just much she had missed him while he'd been away.

Still, she kept herself together as she hugged him and he reciprocated the affection.

"How are you, Abby?" he asked sincerely. "My flight got delayed during my layover in Atlanta, and by the time I got home, all I do was set my alarm and pass out on my bed because I was flat-out exhausted. I would've called you, otherwise."

Abby raked the back of McGee's neck with her nails, knowing from previous experience that it was a weak spot. "It's okay, Tim, and so am I, now that you're back. I really missed you while you were in California."

Though not a bona fide scientist like Abby, McGee was just as observant as she was. As a result, he'd noticed that she'd behaving off-kilter for the past three weeks, and now, he was choosing his words carefully.

"I was only gone for a week."

"Yeah, but it felt like a lot longer because I always miss you when you go anywhere, even on a case."

McGee suddenly found himself having to fight the urge to kiss Abby. So he channeled his thoughts into saying something else.

"I know you, Abby, and something clearly happened to you in the last twenty-four hours. Do you want to talk about it, or see what I brought back for you?"

"I want yo see what you brought back!"

McGee had been away at a sci-fi/fantasy convention, and because he knew Abby so well, he'd known exactly what kind of souvenir she'd like.

"Here you go, Abby." he handed her the gift bag. "These are straight up your alley."

Abby accepted the bag and then paused. "How did you know to even come down here already?"

"About that—I was in the squad room for less than five minutes when I saw the director looking at me from the catwalk. She told me that if I knew what was good for me, I'd come talk to you immediately. Tony and Ziva laughed themselves silly about it, but ta da: here I am."

Satisfied by this answer and tickled that Jenny had waited McGee out on her behalf, Abby opened the bag and gasped at the sight of what she pulled out: action figure versions Molly and Ginny Weasley, from the Harry Potter books. Abby was deeply touched and she thanked McGee for being so thoughtful, but then the figures reminded her of her newfound role as mother, and of the baby in her belly and Rubyjane.

"Abby," McGee said in a tone of slight panic when he saw her abrupt mood change. "Seriously, what's the matter?"

"I broke up with—"

But that was as far as he got because McGee's phone chirped at him, indicating a text from Ziva.

"You gotta go?" Abby guessed as McGee read the message.

He nodded. "Mhm. According to Ziva, we have a new case."

"Okay, then have something for the road. And thank you for the action figures."

Abby hugged McGee close and then gave him a kiss on the cheek.

McGee returned the hug and then left.

On the way to the crime scene, McGee's head was in the clouds as he went over his conversation with Abby and tried to think of when would be the next time they could finish the conversation they'd started.

To his credit, he even ignored Tony and Ziva as they pestered him, trying to find out what had happened in Abby's lab.

Unfortunately, McGee was only jarred back to reality when he felt a head slap and saw Gibbs glaring at him.

"My bad, boss." McGee ducked immediately as Gibbs aimed another swat at him, reciting his rule about apology. "What have we got?"

To McGee's left, Tony chortled. "You're totally McSpace Cadet today, aren't you? Open your eyes wider—it's what we _don't_ have."

McGee looked around and saw a few feet in front of them a huge pool of dried up blood with a trail of two pairs of bloody footprints leading away, towards the front door.

"Lots of blood, but no body. Who lives here, again?"

"A Lieutenant Onyx Clarkson, and his little girl, Rubyjane Lily Clarkson. She is nearly three." Ziva reported as she consulted her notes and then looked around. "I see plenty of indicators that a little girl calls this place home, but I do not see any signs of her being abducted, either, or that she has wandered off, so she must still be here."

"Let's hope so." said Gibbs, feeling a knot of dread at the thought of what Abby was going to say when she found out what was going on. "We were alerted to this case who heard Rubyjane crying and remembered that Clarkson is Navy. Spread out and proceed with caution so we don't spook Rubyjane."

They didn't have too far to look.

In a bedroom just off the main hallway, Ziva found an open door, and when she poked her head in, she saw Rubyjane sitting up in her bed, dressed in her pajamas and staring into space as she rocked back and forth, crying.

Ziva called out to Rubyjane, but the little girl didn't notice her or hear her because she didn't have her hearing aids in, so all she could hear was the sound of her own crying, but even that was distant.

Just as Ziva thought about how to back out of the room without spooking Rubyjane or attracting her attention, she saw an envelope taped just above the light switch next to the door.

It bore a message across the front: _In case of emergency, call Abby._


	2. Rubyjane

At the very same moment that Ziva noticed the envelope, Rubyjane saw Ziva and froze, clearly startled. She also stopped crying, now fixing Ziva with a penetrating stare, trying to figure her out.

"Hello, little one." Ziva offered.

Rubyjane just looked at her blankly, concentrating on her lips in an effort to read them.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Gibbs, Tony, and McGee approaching in the hallway, wanting to see what was taking so long. Ziva made frantic shushing noises and shooing motions at them. They got the message immediately and backed off, back into the living room.

When Ziva turned back to Rubyjane, she saw the little girl was now staring her down with an expression befitting of the phrase "if looks could kill," but that was when Ziva had an epiphany.

"Little one, can you hear me?"

Still not talking, Rubyjane made first a so-so motion with her left hand, followed by a pushing motion before she resumed rocking.

Taking care to pluck the envelope off the wall and put it in an evidence bag, Ziva left quickly.

"Look what I found." she said, handing the bag to Gibbs. "Does this mean what I think it does?"

Gibbs examined the envelope and nodded before handing it to a crime scene tech. "Yes, it does."

"This is going to be a long case..."

"What makes you say that?" Tony asked, walking up to them with McGee.

"It's going to be a very long case," Gibbs told him. "If you two are back empty-handed only _five minutes_ after I said go look for things to bring to Abby!"

"There honestly isn't anything, boss." McGee said quickly as Tony nodded in agreement. "The crime techs will probably find something after we leave, anyway."

"What does this mean?" Ziva asked, mimicking the so-so motion.

"That," Ducky said as he and Palmer joined them. "Usually means 'just a little bit.' Why do you ask?"

"I asked Rubyjane if she could hear me because I think that she may be hard of hearing." Ziva made the so-so motion a second time. "This was her answer to me. At the moment, she is rocking back and forth on her bed."

Gibbs contributed his two cents. "Rubyjane is almost completely deaf."

Ziva, Tony, McGee, Ducky, and Palmer stared.

"I know somebody who knows her." Gibbs told them by way of explination.

Taking one for the team, Tony said, "I don't suppose you're going to tell us who told you, boss?"

"Not until we get back to NCIS." Gibbs turned to Ziva. "I want you to look after Rubyjane."

Ziva put her hands on her hips. "Because I am the woman?"

"More because I think she likes you. Turn around."

Ziva did, and sure enough, Rubyjane could be seen watching them from the doorway, this time with a kinder, gentler look. Immediately, Ziva got on her knees and faced Rubyjane, wanting to keep her from seeing the site of where Onyx had been attacked, meeting her with a kind smile in return.

"Little one," Ziva said gently. "Do you understand me now?"

Ziva had used Sign Language and verbal speak simultaneously while posing the question. All at once, Rubyjane lit up in delight and pointed to herself, clumsily spelling out a reply with her left hand.

 _Rubyjane._

Continuing to speak and sign, "I am called Ziva. Do you know where your daddy is?"

The little girl shook her head, and when she spotted Ziva's hat, her eyes widened in surprise when she recognized the letters and what they stood for.

 _You are NCIS?_

At that, Ziva was very taken aback. "You know what that is?"

Rubyjane rewarded her with a very cheeky grin, but said nothing.

Tony called out, "Ziva, what's going on? Since when do you sign?"

Ziva turned to look at him. "I am a hyperpolyglot."

Next to Tony, McGee was very impressed. "You guys, this means that Ziva is fluent in at least _ten_ foreign languages!"

 _"Twelve,_ to be precise." chirped Ziva.

"She can't say 'porcupine,' but she nails 'hyperpolyglot' and she speaks a dozen languages? Go fi—ouch! Sorry, boss!"

Annoyed with him for being childish, Gibbs gave Tony a head slap before turning to Ziva. "And where exactly do Sign Language and English fall in your language lineup?"

"Actually, Sign Language is my first because my parents taught it to me when they were teaching me how to talk so I could still communicate."

"So Hebrew is your second?"

"Yes. English is my fifth, with Arabic and Turkish being third and fourth."

Ziva turned back to Rubyjane and gentle tapped the little girl's hand, which had been balled up this whole time.

Still using the method of speaking and signing, Ziva asked her, "May I see your hand, please?"

Rubyjane turned away and stuck out her hand, unfurling it.

Ziva's heart sank a little when she saw that it was covered in blood, but after deducing that it wasn't Rubyjane's, she borrowed a DNA swab and used it to collect a sample to send back to the lab for testing. Once that was handed off, Ziva stood and spoke to Gibbs.

"What are we to do with Rubyjane?"

"She's a possible witness—we're taking her back to NCIS."

"Then I will prepare her to leave."

"Good call, Ziva."

Gibbs watched Ziva explain the situation to Rubyjane before picking her up and carrying her out of the room. Deciding to trust her new friend, but just relieved that she was no longer alone, Rubyjane was more than happy to cooperate.

Gibbs also realized that a call back to HQ was in order, so he went to the kitchen, where it was quieter and dialed a familiar number.

"Miss me already?"

Gibbs grinned at Jenny's question, in spite of the situation. "I just called to say that this one is going to be a real doozy, director."

"And what makes you say that?"

"We found Rubyjane."

"Excuse me? Where the hell are you guys?"

"At the House of Clarkson—the lieutenant was injured and abducted. It's pretty bad, especially because it's looking like Rubyjane was the only witness."

"Oh, my God. Is she hurt at all?"

Gibbs shook his head even though Jenny couldn't see him. "No, but she did have blood on her right palm. Ziva took a sample of it to send to Abby so we can determine whose exactly it is."

"Then who has Rubyjane right now?"

"Ziva does—they've bonded because it turns out that Ziva is fluent in Sign Language, which is how they're communicating now. Jen, did you know that Ziva speaks twelve languages?"

"Jethro, she was my partner for _four years_ before coming to NCIS, _and_ she's my best friend. I've also been a guest at the David family home in Israel _many_ times, and I know exactly which languages our favorite officer speaks, as well as in what order. I also happen to know that Ziva isn't even twenty-five as of yet."

"Color me impressed."

Jenny sighed. "How do we tell Abby that Clarkson is missing and that Rubyjane probably saw him get hurt? She'll freak because that means she doesn't know where her abuser is, and because her first instinct will be protect Rubyjane."

"We tell her carefully, is how, and I'll definitely tell DiNozzo, McGee, Ducky, and Palmer before we leave here."

"I doubt that Rubyjane will want to let Ziva out of her sight before she sees Abby again, so when you get back, have her bring her up to my office, okay?"

"And if Rubyjane asks for Ziva to stay?"

"Then let her. I'll call Abby and have her come up here in what, fifteen minutes?"

"Better make it twenty-five: Ziva's running Rubyjane a bath."

Jenny wrinkled her nose and laughed. "Stinky pull-up?"

"It was almost leaking. I'm amazed Ziva didn't gag."

"That girl has a stomach of steel. At any rate, I'll be glad to meet Rubyjane, once she's clean, because things are so damn quiet that it's making me nervous and the baby fidgety. It also feels like there's more than one in there."

"Still on that train, huh?"

"Oh, you bet. See you all when you get back."

Meanwhile, after Ziva ran Rubyjane a bath and cleaned her up, she dressed her in a very cute black and yellow dress that put Ziva in the mind of a bumblebee, an insect that Rubyjane seemed to really like because her bedroom was themed after them. Just after Ziva managed to get the little girl into tights and fur-lined boots to keep her legs and feet warm for the cold weather outside, Rubyjane slipped out of Ziva's lap from they were sitting on the edge of the bed and hurried over to her bedside table.

"What are you looking for, little one?" Ziva called.

"Shhh!" Rubyjane hissed, actually hearing the inquiry.

Ziva watched in amusement as Rubyjane retrieved something from the tabletop and then deposit the objects into her outstretched hands. Rubyjane had given Ziva her hearing aids. They were kid-sized and transparent, and they also had volume dials and very clearly labeled on/off switches.

When Ziva looked back at Rubyjane again, she saw that the little girl was tapping her ears desperately. Going as carefully as she could, Ziva outfitted Rubyjane with her hearing devices and turned them on.

"Can you hear me better?" Ziva asked.

Rubyjane looked at her with complete adoration. "Yes! Thanks!"

"You are most welcome," Ziva pulled Rubyjane back up onto the bed and sat her between her legs. "But please be still now so I can finish doing your hair. What can you tell me about bumblebees?"

And Rubyjane launched into a full explanation about her favorite insect. Ziva wasn't sure she understood everything the toddler was telling her, but she humored her, all the same.

Before long, Rubyjane's hair was in fishtail braids and bangs, and the braids were even tied off with yellow hair ties to go with her boots. There was also both a diaper bag and a duffel bag filled with Rubyjane's pull-ups and things related to that, as well as enough clothes and shoes to last at least a week. Ziva had also packed Rubyjane's favorite toys, books, and comfort items because she wasn't sure when Rubyjane would be coming back to this house, or if it was even in the realm of possibility.

"Do you have everything that you would like to bring?" Ziva asked her.

Rubyjane thought about it and then waddled (on account of being weighed down by her winter gear) and pointed to something on her bedside table.

"That! It's mommy!"

Ziva was a little puzzle, but collected what turned out to be a framed picture. She had a little start when she saw who was in it, because though she recognized Rubyjane, she was extremely surprised to see whose lap she was perched in.

"Rubyjane," Ziva said, showing her the frame. "Who is this?"

"Mommy! I love her!"

Taking extra care not to break the frame as she packed it away, Ziva felt her thoughts begin to swirl.

The second person in the photo was Abby!

Ziva's thoughts were still swirling when she returned to the living room, although she almost immediately changed lanes when she noticed Gibbs, Tony, McGee, Ducky, and Palmer staring at her.

"What?" she protested as she put Rubyjane's bags down and picked the little girl up.

McGee tried to say something, but words were evidentially failing him because Tony took over, elbowing him out of the way.

"I think what McSpeechlees is trying to say is that while the sight of you with any kid is unusual, it's very nice to see."

Ziva perked up up, having expected him to say something stupid. "Thank you, Anthony, for not being juvenile. That is very sweet."

"You're welcome." Tony picked up Rubyjane's luggage. "Is there anything you need?"

"Yes, actually." Ziva turned to Gibbs and stuck out her hand. "Give me your car keys."

Without any fuss, Gibbs did as asked and handed them to her. "You don't want to be in a car with someone else's precious cargo while DiNozzo and McGee are there?"

"Correct."

She answered him so surly that, had it not been for his experience with having three ex-wives, Gibbs would have surely dug himself into a hole if he'd answered her in a tone that was anything but patient.

"Then why the surliness, David?"

She hoisted Rubyjane a little higher up on her hip. "For not telling us whom else appears to call this place home, even on occasion, and for not saying that my hitchhiker thinks of her as her mother."

"How did you even figure it out?"

"Rubyjane told me so, and I saw a photograph." Ziva glanced at Tony, narrowing her eyes menacingly. "Drop the duffel bag, and I will end you. Am I clear?"

Tony took a step back, but nodded. "Crystal."

Cautiously, McGee entered the conversation. "Boss, what is she talking about?"

Gibbs turned to Ziva, only to see her arch her eyebrows in a "Tell them, or I will!" fashion before she returned her attention and affection to Rubyjane.

"Are you ready to go?"

Rubyjane bobbed her head. "To mommy?"

"Mhm."

"Let's go!"

Ziva left the house carrying Rubyjane and chatting enthusiastically with her while Gibbs began telling the other four exactly what was happening.


	3. Abby Finds Out

After hanging up with Gibbs, Jenny called Abby in her lab, but instead of the younger woman's usual 'fluffball of joy' attitude and her loud techno music, Jenny was treated to a slightly forlorn Abby and quiet jazz.

"Abby, that's a _jazz dirge."_ Jenny remarked when she registered what she was hearing. "Are you okay right now?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yes."

"Well, I'm playing this music because I was just thinking about how I'm going down to New Orleans next month for Christmas to see my parents and my brother."

"But...?"

"But then I remembered how I'm going to have to tell them about the baby because I'll definitely be showing by then. I already have a bit of a bump now, but I'll be pushing eighteen weeks by the time I go."

"Are you feeling apprehensive about telling your family?"

"Not entirely because they're all of the non-judgmental variety, but I'd always thought I'd be married by the time I came home for Christmas and told my parents they were getting their first grandchild..."

Her words trailed off, and Jenny was even more intrigued. "Oh, don't quit there."

"Director, can you keep a secret?"

Jenny Shepard was already a woman of many secrets, and now that everyone had adjusted to her being the NCIS director, she was finding that more and more people were entrusting their secrets to her. She took the responsibility very seriously.

Finally, she said, "Yes, Abby, I can keep a secret."

"I know I just got out of a relationship last night, but even before I met Onyx, I was considering asking McGee if he wanted to come to New Orleans with me."

"Well, don't give up hope yet." Jenny replied, thinking of exactly how crazy McGee was for Abby. "Is there anything else on your mind?"

"I just got a package delivered here."

"What was in it?"

"A set of play doctor and play science toys for Rubyjane. There's also a kid-sized lab coat, too, but now I might have to send everything back if I never see her again. She'd also love New Orleans for the culture and the music, but she'd also love my family because almost everyone has to sign since both of my parents and one of my sisters are deaf. Am I rambling, director? I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Abby—really. I was calling because I need you up here in a half hour."

"Am I in trouble?"

"Not at all, but Jethro and I want to have a chat with you after he and the others get back."

Abby felt perplexed now because it wasn't often that Jenny formally summoned her to her office. "Okay, then I'll see you in a half hour. Is there anything else?"

"No."

"Director?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks for listening."

Jenny grinned. "You're very welcome. I'm here for you, whatever you need."

After they hung up, Abby felt that Jenny's kindness helped her keep her head above water, somewhat (her whacked-out pregnancy hormones were messing with her on a grand scale today), so exactly half an hour later, she was able to leave her lab without feeling like she was going to burst into tears if someone looked at her, and take the lift up to the top floor of the NCIS building and walked along to where Jenny's office was.

The secretary waved her through, and when Abby entered the office, she saw Jenny and Gibbs, as expected, but also Ziva.

"I'm here," the goth said, closing the door behind her. "But what's happeni—"

She was cut off by an excited squeal that was followed by a joyous cry of, _"MOMMY!"_

Abby's heart leapt into her throat at the sound of the voice, and she looked around just in time to see Rubyjane making a beeline for her. When they made contact, Abby scooped Rubyjane up in a hug.

"Hi, baby!" she cooed to her. "I missed you!"

"Me, too! You!" Rubyjane gave Abby a peck on the cheek.

Abby gave Rubyjane another hug and then looked to Jenny, who was at her desk, flanked by Gibbs and Ziva. "Seriously, what is going on? Why is Rubyjane here?"

"Come have a seat, Abby." the redhead told her.

Abby nodded and then turned to Rubyjane. "Will you go play on the couch for a little bit, RJ? I'll come get you when I'm done."

"Okay, mommy."

Getting in one last hug, Rubyjane then wriggled out of Abby's hold and actually skipped over to the couch, where she'd left some of her toys.

Satisfied the little one was preoccupied, Abby sat in one of the chairs across from Jenny's desk. Ziva took the seat next to her.

"Who all knows what?" Abby asked.

Ziva replied, "Gibbs told Tony, McGee, Ducky, Palmer, and myself all of what has transpired where you and your family are concerned, as well as that you spent the night at his house last night. He also told us that the director was there, too. Does any of this upset you?"

"No." Abby found herself saying. "You all were bound to find out eventually, anyway."

"That is a relief to hear because McGee and Tony offered to 'break in' the lieutenant's face whenever you wish. Tony volunteered Palmer to join the cause, as well. Ducky even said that he would be happy to drive the getaway car."

Abby was awed that her loved ones had come up with a plan so quickly to help her.

"Wow, Ziva! Thank you!"

Ziva smiled and then steepled her fingers, thinking. "Is 'breaking in' a euphemism for beating someone up?"

"Yes, actually. Excellent deduction."

The smile on Ziva's face turned to a sly one. "Then should the boys ever go chasing after Clarkson, I shall not hold them back, but join them."

Now Abby was even more touched: having both Gibbs and Jenny offering to their protection, as well as parental affection was nice, as was Tony, McGee, Ducky, and Palmer coming up with a plan on their own on the fly, but here was a trained assassin also offering. That was quite another thing, and it was actually even more comforting.

"Thanks again, Ziva." Abby turned to Gibbs and Jenny, repeating her original inquiry. "Why is Rubyjane here? Where is Onyx? Today is his day off, anyway, but when he goes to work, Rubyjane stays in the on-site daycare facility at Fort Runnymede."

"We were called to Onyx's house." Gibbs told her. "The lieutenant is injured and missing."

"You mean he's _on the loose?"_

Jenny intervened quickly when she saw that Abby was on the verge of panicking. "Probably not, from the way Agent Gibbs and Ziva described the situation to are looking for him, though, so that we can figure out what's going on. It's also looking like Rubyjane was the only witness, and that Onyx was in the process of preparing to abandon her."

Abby felt sick. "Excuse me?"

Ziva got her say in. "We did some looking around, and saw, especially in Rubyjane's room, that her things were packed up. We also noticed some of your things; when was the last time you were there?"

"Some time this week, but I don't remember anymore. I stay there sometimes, but I don't live there."

Ziva pulled a pair of blue latex gloves out of her coat and used them to handle the evidence bag as she handed it off to Abby.

"I found Rubyjane first, and I found this, as well. It was by her light switch."

Abby put the gloves on and examined the contents of the bag. "This is a letter, and it has my name on it. Did anyone read it?"

"No." the other three said in unison.

Abby stood. "Then I guess I'll go do that."

She crossed the room and sat next to Rubyjane.

"Time to go?" the little girl asked.

"Not yet."

"I can lay with you?"

"Okay, but you have to be quiet, RJ. Do you understand?"

Rubyjane gave a nod and then laid with her head in Abby's lap. As a sign that the toddler was completely comfortable, she even began to suck on one of her tiny thumbs. Noticing, Abby gently pulled it out of Rubyjane's mouth.

"We don't suck our thumbs, Rubyjane Lily."

"Okay, mommy." Rubyjane said in understanding before moving on to play pretend with a bumblebee stuffi she was holding.

Unashamed for being maternal in front of her friends, Abby removed the envelope from the evidence bag, and the letter from the envelope and began to read.

 _Dear Abby,_

 _If you're reading this, then something has gone wrong and I'm dead, or I can't ever come home._

 _I also have bad news—they're downsizing my department at Fort Runnymede and transferring me to the U.S.S. Crazyhorse. Its destination is Japan for training, and then Iraq for combat. I leave on the first of next month, and it's just as well because I can't afford my apartment, or even Rubyjane and her expenses anymore._

 _Keep her, Abby. I am hereby relinquishing all of my rights as Rubyjane's father and kin, since neither she nor I, nor even Mara, have any other living family. I'm giving you complete power of attorney and guardianship, meaning that if you don't end up keeping her, you can still give her up without trouble._

 _This is why I told you I can't raise a baby with you, or pay child support. I'm still not sorry for what I said, especially since I've never wanted kids, and I didn't know about Rubyjane until Mara brought her here. And Rubyjane is a burden because she's got special needs that she's going to have for the rest of her life. I can't serve in the Navy and keep worrying about her and everything else she needs. Her hearing aids already almost bled me dry. I just don't know what to do with a special needs kid._

 _The only thing I'll ever be sorry about is if you get mixed up in what I have going on right now. I won't say what it is, but if you know what's good for you, Rubyjane, and the baby, stay away._

 _—Onyx_

By the end of the letter, Abby was in tears, and feeling angry, hurt, and confused.

"Abby? What is wrong?" Ziva was crouching before her. "How can I help you make it better?"

Abby shucked off her gloves and then stuck out a hand. "Help me up?"

Ziva helped Abby up and even helped Abby hold Rubyjane properly, as she'd been in danger of dropping her.

Noticing Abby's tears, Rubyjane reached up and wiped them for her.

"Why are you sad, mommy?" she asked.

Abby gave Rubyjane a watery smile and a hug. "Don't worry, RJ. I just love you so much."

Rubyjane signed, _I love you,_ _mommy,_ before she laid against Abby, even slinging an arm around her shoulder and patting her on the back. Even that little gesture made Abby's heart swell with love.

Abby turned to Ziva. "Will you please bring RJ's things down the lab for me since my hands are full?"

Ziva nodded and did a quick job of putting Rubyjane's things away, proceeding to follow them.

Abby walked over to Jenny's desk. "I don't care if you guys read what Onyx wrote, if you want me, we'll be down in my lab."

"Okay, Abby." Gibbs told her. "Take it easy."

Abby just gave him a smile, unable to think of anything else to say, and left.


	4. In Abby's Lab

After Ziva left the lab to send for McGee, it was just Abby and Rubyjane. Once Abby had a 'don't touch anything without asking chat' with her pint-sized companion, she gave her the presents that had arrived for her in the mail. Rubyjane was extremely thrilled, and when she realized that her new lab coat matched Abby's, she got so excited that she began to dance around the lab to the music that was playing.

Quite amused that Rubyjane was getting her groove on to The Beatles, Abby waited until Rubyjane made a full circle before handing her something else.

"Mommy, what's this?" Rubyjane asked.

Abby was holding out her stuffed hippopotamus. "His name's Bert, and you can use your doctor toys on him to practice being a doctor!"

"Okay, mommy!"

Rubyjane took the toy from Abby, and as she did, Bert farted loudly.

Startled, Rubyjane held Bert at arm's length and looked up at Abby. "That was _not_ me!"

"He's supposed to do that, RJ." Abby reassured her.

The little girl gave Bert a few more squeezes, giggling hysterically as the toy made more noise. Abby watched as Rubyjane sat on the floor, a few feet away on the floor, already playing with her toys.

In Abby's mind, there was no question that she was going to everything she could to adopt Rubyjane because she loved her dearly and because she didn't want her to be alone, but she just wondered how the little one would react when she found out that she was getting a sibling. Rubyjane was normally very happy go-lucky, but she was also used to being an only child, and the center of Abby's affection and attention. Abby still wasn't expecting too much drama, but nevertheless, she'd found herself in the position of mother twice in less than twenty-four hours now, and it was a lot to digest.

"Abby?"

Turning at the sound of her name, she saw her favorite person entering the lab.

"McGee! You're here, you're here!" Abby hugged him when he got closer. "Oh, I'm so happy to see you!"

McGee returned Abby's hug, this time understanding why she'd been so topsy-turvy earlier.

"How are you, Abby?" he asked when they pulled apart.

Abby leaned against the wall. "Sad, hurt, angry, and really confused, and that's just right _now."_

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Alright. Do you know about the letter that Ziva found?"

McGee nodded. "She said she found it in Rubyjane's room, by her lightswitch."

"It's a letter from Onyx to me, and to make a long story short, I basically beat him to the punch with breaking up."

"That bad, huh?"

"Yeah. He's employed at Fort Runnymede, but they're downsizing in his department, and since he has experience as a sailor, and on a destroyer, he's been assigned to the U.S.S. Crazyhorse. It's bound for training in Japan in a few weeks, and then to Iraq for combat. It'll be Onyx's ninth tour."

"How old is this guy?"

Abby blushed. "He's thirty."

"And you're—"

"Older than you, so keep the number to yourself." Abby said with a hint of an attitude. "Onyx joined the Navy the second he could, and he lives for it, so he's seen quite a lot. All of that being said, in the letter, he told me that he doesn't want anything to do with this one."

She touched a hand to her middle, smiling when she felt the baby wiggle.

McGee brought her back to reality. "Have you told Rubyjane...?"

They both glanced over at her to see her happily humming to herself and playing doctor with Bert.

Abby shook her head. "Not yet, but I will, and I doubt she knows where Onyx is, or what happened to him."

"She would have said something?"

"Yes, and her memory and recall skills are amazing for someone her age, which is probably why she understood Ziva's version of Sign Language."

"Because _she_ would have learned the Hebrew version."

This time, Abby nodded. "I think RJ has a gift for language, and I'm _definitely_ sure that her memory is photographic."

McGee was fascinated by Rubyjane at this point, by schooled himself so he didn't lead Abby down a rabbit hole. "Do you know of Onyx's future plans, what with him off to war and all, I mean as far as Rubyjane is concerned?"

"He doesn't want her."

"I'm sorry, Abby." McGee said sympathetically.

"So am I." she sighed. "Tim, Onyx called her a burden because she's got special needs, and he also can't afford her, or his rent, so he was getting ready to abandon her with me! Her mother already abandoned her when she was an infant!"

Again, McGee found himself choosing his words carefully because he didn't want to send his best friend into a crying jag.

"Onyx told you something else, too, didn't he?"

"Mhm. He officially relinquished his custody of RJ, and he even gave me the power of attorney and guardianship, saying that if I don't keep her, I can at least give her up without trouble." Abby rubbed at her eyes, wanting to stay strong and not cry, like she was tempted to. "Can I tell you a secret?"

"Yes." McGee said seriously.

Abby took a few calming breaths and looked McGee square in the in the eyes. "I know anyone would be bothered by things RJ's parents have done to her, but it's getting under my skin because I was given up for adoption when I was little."

"You were?"

Abby nodded. "Both of my biological parents are gone now, but I have pictures of them at home. I was adopted by the parents who raised me when I was only three months old. The only other person who knows this about me besides you is Gibbs."

"I won't tell anyone," McGee promised. "But this means that you're going to adopt Rubyjane, huh?"

"Yes, and not just because she calls me 'mommy.' I've known Rubyjane for five-and-a-half months, and I've loved her like she grew in my womb from the second I first met her. I'm also the only mother she's ever known."

McGee caressed Abby's cheek lovingly. "Any kid will be really lucky to have you as a mom—both of the kids you have now already are."

Abby grinned and gave McGee a peck on the cheek. "That means a lot, Tim. Thanks!"

McGee loved kisses from Abby—and so much more—but just as he reminded himself to stay on topic, Rubyjane wandered over to Abby and asked her to hold her.

"What's up, Rubyjane?" Abby asked, saddling her on her hip.

Rubyjane made something akin to a tittering noise before gesturing towards McGee and signing a question to Abby.

In response, Abby giggled and signed back a reply.

After that, both mother and child turned their gazes to McGee, both of them bearing looks of barely concealed amusement.

"What did she say, Abby?" McGee squawked. "I just _know_ you guys were talking about me!"

"Rubyjane said you're a goofball." Abby informed him. "What did you do?"

McGee shuffled his feet and laughed nervously. "I tripped 'theatrically,' according to Tony, over some loose gravel in the parking lot outside."

"Who saw, and what made it theatrical?"

"Rubyjane saw, and so did Ziva, Tony, Gibbs, Ducky, and Palmer. What made it theatrical is that I almost collided with Gibbs, but I caught myself just before I did."

Abby snickered, especially when Rubyjane signed a new word to her.

"What now?" McGee complained.

"RJ also says that you're a dork, and she's right, but you're _our_ dork."

"Hey—"

McGee was interrupted by a loud flatulence noise.

"What was _that?"_ he asked in alarm.

Rubyjane pointed to the toy she was holding. "Bert!"

"A hippo that _farts?"_

"Yep!" Rubyjane hugged Bert again and pointed to McGee's left hand. "What's that?"

McGee suddenly remembered that he was holding the swab of evidence that Ziva had collected off Rubyjane at the crime scene.

"This is something that will help us find your daddy."

Just for a second, there was a flicker of anger in the toddler's eyes, but it was gone just as quickly.

"For why?" she wanted to know.

Without missing a beat, McGee told her, "So we can bring your daddy back!"

There was another tiny flicker of anger in her eyes, but she still replied with a trilling, "Okay!"

Abby turned to Rubyjane. "Baby, do you want see mommy work?"

"Yes!"

Upon Abby's request, McGee pulled up a stepping stool to the Major Mass Spectrometer so Rubyjane would be able to see. McGee watched Abby get her Mini-Me settled and even roll back her coat sleeves for her. Adorable was the word, McGee thought, as he watched the pair interact, and not for the first time since entering the lab, he wondered what it would be like to be a family with them.

"Remind me why we're using Major Mass Spec." he said to Abby.

"Because the machine that would normally search for DNA has not been cooperating lately, and I haven't had time to fix it, so Major Mass Spec has been pulling double duty."

Rubyjane immediately chortled, "Mommy said 'duty,' Timmy!"

"She totally did, kid." McGee laughed and turned to Abby. "Your kid is hilarious."

Abby grinned proudly. "And you haven't even seen what happens when we put on Scooby Doo. "

Rubyjane tugged on Abby's coat sleeve. "We can do that?"

"Later, before bed, alright? How about you practice saying 'major mass spectrometer' for mommy? Bert is a good listener, if you want to practice talking to him."

Rubyjane agreed that this was a good idea and turned her attention to the toy, talking to him, while Abby turned her own attention to McGee.

"What is Major Mass Spec analyzing?"

"A blood sample that Ziva found on Rubyjane's hand."

Abby was taken aback. "RJ wasn't hurt, was she?"

"No—we checked before Ziva ran her a bath."

"She didn't faint, did she? She doesn't like the sight of blood, and she actually blacked out on me when she skinned her knee last month."

"She had the presence of mind to look away, so no."

Abby breathed a sigh of relief and loaded the sample into the machine when McGee handed it to her. Major Mass Spec beeped and whirred animatedly.

"Have you guys made any progress in finding out what Onyx is up to?"

"No." McGee confessed. "Was there anything in the letter that might indicate something?"

"Just a line about how he'd only be sorry if I got mixed it up in what he has going on, and if I knew what was good for me, I'd stay away."

"That's just creepy. Where's the letter now?"

"I left it in the director's office. Will you go get it?"

"No need." came a voice from the doorway.

Abby and McGee turned to see Jenny entering the lab, Abby's letter back in the evidence bag.

"I don't have anything happening right now," she said as she strolled over to them. "So I thought I'd bring it down and come check on everyone."

"We're great," Abby said of herself and the baby. "And RJ is trying to say 'major mass spectrometer.' It'll keep her busy for awhile."

The adults looked over at the dark-hair child to see that the she was deep in conversation with Bert the farting hippo, trying to say the tongue twister, but all she had so far was a string of nonsense words.

Jenny set the evidence bag down and nodded towards the machine. "What does Major Mass Spec have going on today, Abs?"

"He's analyzing a blood sample that Ziva found on RJ at the crime scene. We'll find out who the blood belongs to when Major Mass Spec gives us the results."

"When will that be?"

Abby shrugged. "A few minutes, give or take. Gibbs has an uncanny ability to show up as soon as Major Mass Spec finishes anything—it looks like you beat him to the punch, director."

"Well, in that case, allow me to ask—has there been anything unusual between you and Lieutenant Clarkson lately?"

"Just one thing, really," Abby said after a moment of pondering. "And it was about two days ago."

"Cough it up."

"I was spending the night at his place because he was going to be at Fort Runnymede past the time RJ's daycare closed, and he needed someone to pick her up and look after her until he could leave. When he did get home, I heard him fretting about how the daycare facility is about to increase its prices."

"From what to what?"

"From two hundred and fifty dollars a month to three hundred dollars a month."

Jenny wrinkled her nose. "Why the fifty dollar jump?"

"Onyx told me that a new director is about to come in to run the daycare because the current one is about to move to California. I offered to help him pay, and just about lost his cool and told me in loud tones to mind my own business. I would have left, but RJ woke up from a bad dream and wanted me, so I sang her to sleep and fell asleep on the couch later."

"Anything happen after that?"

"Onyx called me here the next morning and apologized, saying that he lost his cool because it had been a long day at the office. I forgave him, but he also sent those."

Abby pointed to a vase of black flowers on the table next to the refrigerator. The bouquet had sprigs of Baby Breath sprinkled throughout, but even still, the flowers were voluminous and beautiful.

"What kind are they?" McGee asked.

"Those are dahlias." Jenny remarked.

The other two stared.

"My mother had a humongous flower garden when I was a kid, and she taught my sister and I the names of everything she grew." Jenny backpedaled quickly. "I still remember them."

Abby raised an eyebrow. "Then you probably remember what dahlias represent, huh, director?"

"Amongst other things, dahlias represent staying graceful under pressure, standing out from the crowd, and staying kind, even even when being tested."

"All correct."

McGee held his hands in the 'time out' position. "All that from a flower, though?"

"Get yourself a girlfriend," Abby chuckled. "And then I'll give you lessons about flower symbolism."

Had this been any other time, MGee would have hit on Abby, but since it wasn't, he rolled his eyes and said, "Okay, okay, but those are _black_ dahlias, though, and black isn't exactly a color seen on flowers that grow in the wild, is it?"

Abby jumped on McGee's train of logic. "Oh, I like what you're thinking! I like it a _lot!"_

Now Jenny was the one holding her hands in the 'time-out' position. "What's happening, Wonder Twins?"

Abby elaborated. "We think that black dahlias represent something significant, and not in a good way. Can you think of something?"

Abby said this as she moved Rubyjane off her stepping stool and sat back down with her toys before firing up the almighty search engine on her main computer monitor.

"The only thing I can think of, off the top of my head," Jenny said as she and McGee gathered around Abby. "Is the 'Black Dahlia' of 1947."

"That's a good one, director, but totally unrelated."

McGee coughed, reminding them that he was still there. "Okay, so I didn't learn too much about criminology at MIT, and I don't have a fascination with death like one of you does," (he quickly dodged a punch from Abby) "But who was the Black Dahlia of 1947?"

Jenny gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Research on your own time, Agent McGee. Trust me."

McGee laughed nervously and looked over at Abby for help. "Got anything about the significance of black dahlias?"

"Yeah," Abby said, staring at her screen. "But I might be sick—it says dahlias also represent a warning of betrayal."

Before Jenny or McGee could say anything, Major Mass Spec started making noise.

 _BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_

This was followed by a very dramatized gasp on Rubyjane's part when she saw the new picture pop up on to Abby's external monitor, but it made her confused and upet.

"No!" she blew a loud raspberry. "Why is daddy there? For _why?_ He _hurt_ mommy!"

Rubyjane blew two more raspberries before turning her back on the monitor and crossed her arms in a huff.

At that moment, Gibbs walked in to see Abby, Jenny, and McGee staring at Rubyjane in puzzlement while the major mass spectrometer made noise at them, begging to be noticed.

Gibbs gave a pointed cough, and the adults all turned around, each with a "Boy, do we have things to tell you!" look on their faces.

Gibbs asked the first question that popped into his brain.

"Is this a bad time?"


	5. Revelations

"You were correct about Special Agent Gibbs having an uncanny ability to show up just as the plot thickens." Jenny quipped, breaking the awkward silence that had suddenly popped up. "And here I was, thinking he only did that to me."

Gibbs entered the lab and approached Abby, handing her a tall white paper cup from the hot drink kiosk that was a floor below the NCIS floor. The cup also had a white plastic lid on it to stop the drink inside from spilling out. Normally, Gibbs would have brought Abby a Kaff-Pow drink, but since she couldn't have caffeine because of her expectant condition, he would have to figure something else out. Today, he'd brought her favorite drink that was only available this time of year.

"Is that hot apple cider?" Abby asked hopefully when she noticed Gibbs' offering.

"Yep." he held the drink out to her. "Here you go."

She thanked him, accepted the drink and had a few sips.

"You might as well enjoy that." Gibbs told her as she crossed the room to see if Rubyjane wanted to try a sip of the cider. "No more Kaff-Pow for you for awhile."

Gibbs turned to Jenny and McGee, eyebrows raised.

"What is going on, and what was with those looks you all gave me when I came in?"

Jenny and McGee quickly explained things.

"And now," said Gibbs when they finished. "Because of Rubyjane's outburst, you two think she saw Lieutenant Clarkson hit Abby?"

"Yes." Jenny and McGee chorused.

Gibbs turned towards Abby and called for her. "Abby! Front and center!"

She promptly sidled up to her friend and saluted. "Sir, yes, sir!"

"At ease, Abby." laughed Gibbs. "How are you? Really?"

Her shoulders gave a sag. "I feel sad, hurt, angry, and just really confused."

"That's understandable. How's your face?"

Tears immediately formed in Abby's eyes as she held a hand to the damaged side of her face. "It's really, really sore, Gibbs, and I'm surprised nothing swelled up. Can you see the bruise?"

"No. The concealer is really doing its job."

Gibbs watched Abby as she startled sniffling and wiping her tears.

"Abby, it's okay to cry." Gibbs told her in a kind, fatherly tone.

Abby reigned herself in, wiping her tears again and exhaling a steadying breath. "I know it's okay to cry, and I will cry, but just... not right now."

"As long as you do it at some point today, alright?"

"Alright, Gibbs."

He kissed her on the forehead. "Now tell me one good thing."

Abby pointed to Rubyjane, who was happily chattering away to Bert the hippo, blissfully happy again.

"My darling ray of sunshine is here, and she just lights up my world."

"That's a perk of being loved by a kid." Gibbs put his hands on Abby's shoulders. "Now—we can talk to Rubyjane to see exactly what she remembers, but first, let's go see what Major Mass Spec is making noise about."

Abby hugged him and then put her game face on, beckoning everyone to follow her over to the computer.

"Major Mass Spec was analyzing a sample of the blood that Ziva found on RJ, and the DNA results are in—the blood is definitely Onyx's."

"Is there any way to tell how long ago RJ touched it?"

Abby shook her head as she read through the lab report on her screen. "Uh-uh, but this just informed me of a fact about Onyx that's news to me."

"And that would be...?" Jenny prompted.

"He's a hemophiliac."

The redhead gave a wince of sympathy. "I'm sorry, Abby."

McGee asked, "Hemophilia is the blood clotting disease, right? The blood will clot in a weird way, and if you get a cut, it takes forever to heal."

Abby nodded mutely, resting her hands on her bulge. "It's also inherited."

"But as I recall, it's mostly passed to sons. You could be having a daughter."

McGee's words instilled confidence in Abby, and had Gibbs and Jenny absent, she would have kissed McGee senseless to convey her thanks and relief.

"Thanks, McGee!" she chirped before turning to Gibbs. "I want Onyx to be brought in as badly as you do, but just try to make sure that you don't accidentally let him bleed to death first."

"Gotcha, Abs." Gibbs motioned towards Rubyjane. "Time to find out if we can jog your Mini-Me's memory."

Nodding, Abby called, "Rubyjane Lily, will you come here, please?"

Picking up on the seriousness of Abby's tone, Rubyjane put her toys aside immediately and walked over, even giving Abby a serious expression when she picked her up.

"Yes, mommy?"

"Did you see daddy hurt me?"

Rubyjane gave a solemn nod. "He was bad, and he hit you there."

She touched a hand to Abby's injured cheek and gave it a delicate kiss.

Mostly to cheer the toddler up, Abby quickly nuzzled noses with her before asking a new question. "Did you see who hurt daddy?"

The pleasant smile that Rubyjane had been wearing promptly turned into a very angry scowl; clearly, she remembered perfectly well who had hurt Onyx.

When she didn't say anything, Abby wheedled, "Come on, baby girl, please tell mommy. If you don't want to say it, just sign it, okay?"

Rubyjane promptly signed a name and slid out of Abby's arms before hurrying over to her toys again.

"Abby," McGee said cautiously when he saw that his friend gave the appearance of being thunderstruck. "What did RJ just tell you?"

"She said that Onyx was hurt by Uncle Silas." Abby said to the group at large. "RJ's talking about Lieutenant Silas Dancy."

Queried Gibbs, "Have you met him before?"

"A few times. They're office mates at Fort Runnymede, and they're also drinking buddies, but he's always given me a hinky vibe."

Abby's BS meter was as accurate as Gibbs' was, so they all knew to take her seriously when she talked about something leaving her with a 'hinky vibe.'

Gibbs digested the information as a plan began to formulate in his head.

"Abby," he finally said. "Is the letter from Lieutenant Clarkson down here yet?"

"Yes—Director Shepard brought it down. Would you like me to get a start on analyzing it?"

"It's like you read my mind." he told her before turning to McGee. "I want you to go upstairs and find out what you can about Dancy. Put a BOLO out if you have to."

"Got it, boss."

Next to Gibbs, Jenny surmised, "That leaves Tony and Ziva to hit the sidewalk to look for him after McGee digs up enough information, but where are they? Ducky and Palmer are in Autopsy, but I would have thought that since the rest of us are down here, they would have shown up by now."

* * *

Upstairs, Tony found that his mind was being filled up by thoughts of Ziva. That wasn't unusual, but now that the bullpen had emptied of Gibbs and McGee, it was just him and his best friend, the assassin. However, he noticed that she looked upset about something, but before he could ask her what it was, she left.

He found her sitting at a table at the very back of the break room, just gazing into space.

"Are you okay?" Tony asked his partner tentatively when he walked up to her table.

She smiled at him, but looked like she was going to cry any moment. "No."

"I-I can leave, if you want." Tony stuttered, suddenly feeling awkward.

Using one of her feet, Ziva pushed one of the table chairs out. "Stay."

Tony took the seat, even more cautious. "This is about Rubyjane, huh? You've been really quiet since you found her."

"There is a reason that I am so good with her."

"I won't tell anyone." Tony promised.

"First of all, my story starts with Director Shepard—before you, she was my partner for a very long time."

Tony was very taken aback because he had not been expecting Ziva to say anything like that at all. "Really? How long?"

"Seven years: I met her late in 2000, just after I turned sixteen, and she was looking for a bodyguard for a longterm assignment that took us through Eastern Europe and The Democratic Republic of Congo, before a successful end in Iraq. We worked so well together that we were paired together for another mission that took us from Quezon City in the Philippines to Klang in Malaysia. That mission ended in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh."

"Are those places you just mentioned—Quezon City, Klang, and Dhaka—dangerous to be in?"

Ziva nodded. "Very."

"What happened after the second mission ended?"

"September 11th is what happened. Since Jenny and I had such a strong partnership, she and I were specifically handpicked by my father to be part of a counterterrorism task force in Israel. Jenny was the liaison there, as I am here."

"Hey, if I'm doing the math right, this would have made you seventeen, or almost seventeen, right?"

"Yes. My birthday was last week, November twelfth, so when we first started at the task force, I was two months shy of turning seventeen."

"Did people ever pick on you for being young?"

"Every once in awhile, but only because they were not people I had already worked with or trained with. It stopped altogether after I proved my worth, but that is another tale."

"Then something crazy happen during yours and the director's partnership?"

Ziva sighed. "That is most certainly one word for it, Tony, yes."

"What was it?"

"Some years ago, we were traveling through Kabul, and we were captured by enemy forces. We escaped eventually, but not before the 'crazy something' happened to me." Ziva took some calming breaths and laid a hand on the table, her palm facing upward. "I was physically and sexually assaulted, and Jenny was forced to watch it."

Instinctively, Tony took Ziva's hand as he expressed his shock and sympathy. "Oh, Ziva, that's horrible! I'm so sorry!"

Ziva heard the sympathy and gave her partner's hand a gentle squeeze as she plowed on. "It wasn't until we were safe at my family home in Israel that I discovered that that bastard had impregnated me. I was an entire mixture of emotions about it, yes, but in the end, I chose to see the pregnancy out because the baby was innocent and could not help that its father was a monster."

"Did you have a son or a daughter?"

"I had a precious baby girl named Sarai—in Hebrew, that means princess. She was a very happy child, Tony, so beautiful, and so smart. I never knew until the first time I felt her kick, that it was possible to love someone so dearly, and then when I held her for the first time, I knew it even more."

"What happened to Sarai?"

"She had a problem with her heart, and even though I made sure she had the best doctors and the best medicine that was available in Tel Aviv, but her heart gave out and she died in my arms."

Tony just kept holding Ziva's hand as her story kept unfolding.

"She was only three." Ziva rubbed at her eyes, trying not to cry. "I wanted the world for her and to make sure that she would be able to grow up safe and happy, away from the fighting in Israel. I was ready to leave if it meant that she could have the best life I could give her. Sarai is buried in Tel Aviv, next to my mother, sister, and brother, and she is the only one who didn't die by violent means."

Tony was at a loss for words. He adored and admired Ziva, true enough, and in spite of her having been his partner for a year already, there were still some parts of her pre-NCIS life that were still mysterious to him. And even with Ziva coming from one of the most war-plagued countries in the history of the world, Tony still never would have guessed that she had been guarding secrets as dark and heartbreaking as these ones. He was also in awe that she was still standing.

"I am so, so sorry that those things happened to you and I'm touched that you had the courage to share. I can't imagine going through any of those things, especially losing Sarai."

"The death of a child is not something I would wish on anyone, and I miss mine more than words can say, but now that Rubyjane is here, I cannot help _but_ think of Sarai."

"Because she was your baby girl." Tony stood, rounded the table, and pulled Ziva into a hug. "Come here."

Ziva didn't fight Tony's embrace—she melted into it, in fact.

"It's okay, to cry, Ziva." Tony told her gently. "If anybody deserves to, it's you because you've been through so much that nobody should have to."

Almost immediately, Ziva burst into tears, and Tony found himself holding her and comforting her to the best of his abilities. He hadn't expected her to even want to let down her guard, but now that she had, he took very seriously the responsibility of making Ziva feel better, especially since it was the first time he'd been her cry at all.

They stayed like that for awhile, and Ziva didn't swat his hands away when Tony gave her a back rub in between her shoulders and even began to caress her hair. It made Ziva feel very wanted and very loved.

Eventually, Ziva's tears had stopped and she was resting her head on Tony's chest, listening to the sound of his beating heart. It kept Ziva anchored as she gathered up the courage to share something else with him.

"Is it alright if I tell you another thing, Tony? I want to talk to you as my best friend." she said, looking up at him.

"Ziva, you just bared your soul to me." Tony kept one arm around Ziva's waist as he smoothed her hair from her face so he could look at her; he'd always found her eyes mesmerizing. "One of these days, I'll have to tell you my secrets, and then there will probably never be any between us again."

Ziva cracked a smile. "Is this a roundabout way of saying yes to my inquiry?"

"Yes."

Not wanting to break away from Tony just yet, Ziva loosely interlocked her fingers behind her partner's back, holding him as he was holding her. "A lot of people assume, even after all this time, that because I come from The Mossad and an assassin by trade, amongst other things, that I am always cold an unfeeling."

"Which you are definitely not. You just hid for so long because were hurting from everything you've gone through." Tony wiped Ziva's tears for her. "Nobody can blame you for having feelings—they're part of being human."

Ziva smiled more. "I miss my Sarai every day and all the time, but at some point, even if I have to do it alone, I would like to be a mother again."

Tony felt the biggest rush of love towards his partner yet and took Ziva's right hand in his left and kissed her fingertips, looking into her eyes as he did so. The agent wouldn't lie in admitting that he'd fallen for the officer from the moment that they'd first met, but after everything that she'd just shared and after everything they'd been through in their first year as partners, he knew, more than ever that he wanted to make her the happiest woman in the world by any means possible. Ziva David was the absolute love of his life.

"Ziva," Tony kissed his way from her fingertips to her wrist. "Just give the word, and I will help you however you need—emotionally, financially, anything."

Ziva's knees buckled in surprise. "Really?"

Tony caught her and steadied her. "Really. You're more than just my partner."

"And you are more than just my partner."

Ziva stood on her knees and gave Tony a peck on the cheek.

"Thank you, Anthony." she kissed him a second time. "For everything."

He kissed her temple. "You are very welcome, Ziva."

She gave him a genuine smile and patted him on the chest. "If you will excuse me now, I will go wash up. Tell no one that we had this conversation—it will stay strictly between the two of us, and only the two of us."

"Absolutely. Go on and go."

Ziva did, and Tony stared after her, once again in awe of her courage, strength, and bravery.

I'll take things very slow so I don't freak her out, Tony thought. But Ziva David is the one I want to marry.

His train of thought was derailed a few minutes later when Gibbs wandered in and threw his hands up in an expression of exasperation.

"What are you doing in here?" he demanded.

"I, uh…"

"And where's your partner?"

"She's in the bathroom, boss."

Gibbs was already retreating and beckoning for his underling to follow. "Come on, DiNozzo—we've got work to do!"

Tony scuttled after him, calling, "On your six, boss!"

This was going to be a long day, and it wasn't even lunchtime yet.


	6. Changing Lanes

Tony and and Ziva found Lieutenant Silas Dancy going for a walk near the White House, acting totally unconcerned and innocent. When they accused him of kidnapping Onyx, he continued to play innocent, only to ask for a lawyer the second he sat down in interrogation.

After he left with his lawyer, Jenny and Gibbs walked along the orange corridor in the interrogation area together; she'd been the only one available to watch him because everyone else had been busy.

"Well, that was a bust." Jenny sighed. "We're at a standstill right now, but dare I say that Tony, Ziva, and McGee are still digging into Silas Dancy's life?"

Gibbs nodded. "Yeah, and with all three of them looking, but not even a dead body for Ducky and Palmer to investigate, a fourth person looking for leads would be too many cooks in the kitchen."

"Good point."

Jenny motioned towards the elevator, which, by this point, they had reached.

"Do you want to go check on Abby to see if she's done analyzing the letter?"

Gibbs pressed the down button on the button panel. "Alright, but watch—twenty bucks tells us that Abby will tell us that she _just_ finished analyzing it."

"I'll do you one better." Jenny challenged as they boarded the lift and the doors closed. "Twenty-five says that Abby and RJ _both_ jump out of their skin."

Jenny pressed the button for the lab level of the building, and the lift began to descend.

"Those two are two peas in a pod."

Gibbs laughed and nodded in agreement. "That's for sure."

The couple arrived in Abby's lab to hear the _Footloose_ theme playing loudly and to see Abby and Rubyjane at Abby's desk in the main room. Upon her stepstool, Rubyjane stood next to Abby, even leaning against her with an arm slung around her shoulder for support. Both of them proudly wearing lab coats over their clothes, and their minds completely in 'science mode' as they examined a five dollar bill on a slide under Abby's microscope, neither of them realized they had visitors until Jenny let out a high-pitched whistle.

"Director! Gibbs!" Abby quickly turned down the music and put a hand over her fast beating heart. "You guys scared me!"

Rubyjane mimicked Abby's movements and chirped, "Me, too!"

Jenny promptly turned to Gibbs, a cheeky grin on her face and a hand outstretched. "Like I said—they're two peas in a pod. Easiest twenty-five bucks I've ever made."

After some griping on Gibbs' part, Jenny pocketed the bank notes and turned to Abby.

"We came to see if you had finished analyzing the letter."

Abby bobbed her head in confirmation. "Five minutes ago, and since Gibbs always shows up exactly when I need him, I decided to show Rubyjane how a microscope works in the mean time."

Rubyjane herself let out a pitiful whine and leaned against Abby, raising a hand and signing a single word.

"I know you're hungry," Abby cooed to Rubyjane. "But I promise we'll get food after I finish talking to Aunt Jenny and Uncle Gibbs."

Rubyjane heaved a theatrical sigh and clambered off her stool, pausing only to blow kisses to Jenny and Gibbs before going to play with her toys again.

Abby laughed as she led Jenny and Gibbs over to her evidence table. "I guess that's got kid number one sorted."

"Then let's keep this on track so she doesn't stage a coup." Jenny said in a tone of pointed suggestion.

"Okay, then observe." Abby moved her gloved hands in a flourish over the letter, which was written on simple, classic notebook paper. "First of all, Onyx was under duress when he wrote this; do you see how neat and tidy everything is?"

"Yes." Jenny and Gibbs told her in unison.

"Well, I know Onyx, and even at the best of times, his handwriting is untidy and never stays on the line when he uses lined paper."

"It's practically perfect here." Jenny observed.

Gibbs nodded in agreement as he surveyed the letter. "Are you saying that the more stressed he gets, the neater his handwriting becomes?"

"Uh-huh. You should see what happens I—"

Sharply, and again in unison, Jenny and Gibbs gave a cry of, _"Abby!"_

The scientist laughed nervously. "Okay, okay! Follow me back to the monitor!"

Jenny and Gibbs did and watched Abby call up a digital copy of the letter.

"I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary about the paper itself when I examined it, but when I looked for fingerprints, it lit up."

Abby pressed a few buttons on her keyboard, inputting a command, and they watched as the computer scanned an image of the letter on to the screen. When it finished, they saw two sets of different-sized fingerprint fragments. One set was blue, and the other set was red.

"Which set belongs to who?" Jenny asked.

Abby isolated the blue set. "These belongs to Onyx. Not only is he in the Navy database, but he's in a few donor bases, too."

On Abby's other side, Gibbs asked, "If the blue set belongs to Clarkson, then who does the red set belong to?"

"I don't know yet." Abby confessed as she isolated them and blew them up so her friends could see. "They definitely don't belong to anyone in the Navy, or _this_ government, because I've looked through all of the Navy and government-related databases I can think of. Right now, I'm running these prints through a few other databases."

"Do you know how long it's going to takedown get a hit?"

Abby shook her head. "No."

"The last time it took a long time for database results to come up, we identified Ari Haswari."

"I remember," Abby shivered. "And my fingers are crossed that it doesn't come to that. For good measure, though, I sent the searches up to yours, McGee's, Tony's, and Ziva's computers, too, so you guys can also keep track."

"That's good work, Abby. Is there anything else that the director and I should know about?"

Abby shook her head. "Nope—that's everything. Is it alright if RJ and I leave to go get lunch now? I'm sure the cafeteria has good food, but we'd have better luck at the Italian place downtown because RJ _loves_ pasta."

Surprisingly, it was Jenny who gave the answer to this. "Yes, you may leave, but take someone from the team with you—the last thing we need is anyone suspicious bothering you and Ruby."

The director spoke so authoritatively that Gibbs didn't try to to contest the order if one of his people being borrowed.

"Who do you pick, Abby?" asked Gibbs.

Without hesitation, Abby answered, "I want McGee to join us."

"Alright, then. You and RJ get ready, and then come upstairs. I'll make sure McGee doesn't go anywhere."

"Okay, Gibbs! Thanks!"

Abby saw Gibbs and Jenny out of the lab before heading over to Rubyjane, to find her very pleased about something.

"Rubyjane," Abby addressed her. "What's got you grinning like that?"

Rubyjane pointed to her handiwork: under the bulletin board, she had very neatly and very lovingly lined up all of the toys she'd been playing with, including Bert the farting hippo.

Boy, do I have a weird kid, Abby thought.

Aloud, she said, "You heard me talk about leaving, huh?"

Rubyjane gave an enthusiastic nod. "Yep!"

"Then give me your hand." Abby held out one of her own hands. "We're going to hang up our lab jackets and get ready to go!"

Rubyjane immediately took Abby's hand and looked lovingly up at her. "Okay, mommy! Let's go!"

Twenty minutes later, Abby and Rubyjane were bundled up for the cold weather and just disembarking the elevator on the squad room floor. Abby had told Rubyjane that McGee was coming along for their adventure, and the little one became so delerious with joy that the second they had hit solid carpet and the elevator door closed behind them, she hit the ground running.

"Timmy!" she squealed, running as fast as she could in spite of her bulky jacket. "Timmy, Timmy, Timmy, Timmy!"

When Rubyjane reached McGee's desk, he caught her and pulled her into his lap.

"Hey, kid!" he greeted her. "What are you doing up here?"

Giggling, Rubyjane chirped, "Mommy said you're coming with us!"

McGee became politely puzzled. "To where?"

His companion pantomimed eating.

"We're going to eat?"

"Uh-huh!" Rubyjane tugged on McGee's shirt sleeve. "Up!"

Suddenly, McGee heard the sounds of suppressed snorting laughter, and when he looked around, he saw Tony and Ziva watching him and Rubyjane, smiling like a pair of Cheshire Cats.

"What, chuckleheads?" McGee asked, rolling his eyes.

"We were just thinking," Tony began. "That give it another day or two…"

"And everyone's favorite miniature forensic scientist will have you completely wrapped around her little finger." Ziva finished coolly from her perch on the edge of her partner's desk.

McGee didn't know what to say to that, but when he looked back at Rubyjane and then laughed, for her mouth was hanging open in surprise—Ziva had blown her mind by finishing Tony's train of thought.

"Come on, kid." he gently closed her mouth. "You're gonna catch flies. Where's Abby?"

Rubyjane pointed to the other end of the bullpen, and McGee turned to see Abby approaching.

"Hey, _Timmy."_ Abby put emphasis on his nickname to bait Tony and Ziva, who immediately made more sounds of suppressed snorting laughter. "Looks like Ruby found you."

"Hi." McGee greeted her cautiously when she stopped at his desk. "What's happening?"

"RJ and I are hungry, and we want to go out to eat, but the director said that she will only let us leave if someone from the team comes with us."

"And you picked me?"

Abby ruffled his hair, knowing it would stress him out. _"Duh,_ silly—you're our guy! Now get up and get your coat on!"

Gibbs chose this moment to speak up, having been watching the scene from his desk. "You heard the lady—get up and get ready to go, Timmy!"

Unable to contain their amusement any longer, Tony and Ziva howled with laughter, and following their lead, Rubyjane joined in.

McGee hung his head and mumbled, "My family is so weird."

* * *

In the end, McGee decided to treat Abby and Rubyjane to lunch. The three of them had such a fun time together that McGee found himself wondering what it would be like to be a family with Abby, Rubyjane, and the baby in Abby's womb. He was absolutely crazy about Abby and had thought about asking her if she wanted to take a second run at a relationship together, but he'd missed his chance. However, now that things had changed lanes and Abby wasn't single anymore, McGee was beginning to entertain the idea of a relationship with her again (only if she felt the same way) at some point down the road.

That being said, when the waitress had complimented him on having a beautiful family, he hadn't tried to correct her, instead taking the compliment in stride and thanking her.

After awhile, McGee noticed Rubyjane squirming in her seat.

"RJ, what's wrong?" McGee asked.

Immediately, Rubyjane turned to Abby and signed a single word to her. Abby promptly stood and helped Rubyjane to her feet before turning to McGee.

"We have to go to the Little Girls' Room."

"Gotcha. Don't let me keep you."

With that, Abby focused on getting Rubyjane to the facilities in a timely fashion.

Almost as soon as they left, McGee was overcome with a feeling that they were being watched, but when he looked around, he didn't see anyone suspicious. In spite of that, he stayed on his guard, electing to check on Abby and Rubyjane in awhile.

After Abby successfully helped Rubyjane to the toilet and wash her hands, when they were out in the hallway between the rest rooms and the dining room, something unexpected happened.

"Abigail Scuito?" called a voice.

Abby turned in response to the sound of her name being said, cautious because she didn't recognize the voice.

She found that she was face-to-face with a man whom she'd never seen before. He was dark-skinned with handsome features, and if Abby had to place an ethnicity, she would have said Middle Eastern, but nothing more specific than that. This man was even dressed for the cold November weather, but he also had an air about him that was making Abby's Hinky Radar go haywire, so Abby instinctively picked Rubyjane up and sat her on her hip as she asked the stranger a question.

"Can I help you?"

The stranger nodded. "Yes—you can turn around and start walking to the exit behind you."

Abby felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. "Excuse me?"

"Do as I say," the stranger threatened as he discreetly showed her a gun in a holster on his belt. "Or I use this on everyone in the dining room, and I am sure that you do not want that."

Abby began panicking inwardly. Nothing much had happened to her since getting shot at in her lab while Ari Haswari had been on the loose after assassinating Kate, but that had already been a year ago. She'd known full well about the risks that came with being part of NCIS when she'd joined, but she'd never once imagined getting kidnapped… much less when pregnant and having a toddler to do. She'd taken the yearly mandatory classes about what to do in case of scenarios like this, but everything except for one thing had immediately left her brain.

That one thing was very important, though: self-preservation.

For the sake of the baby in her belly, and for Rubyjane, she had to do the stranger's bidding. She'd gotten so used to Gibbs protecting her when any kind of danger arose that she felt extra vulnerable now. Abby was afraid.

But she still found herself soothing a quaking Rubyjane as she followed the stranger's instructions and turned around, walking towards the exit, the stranger just behind her.

She just hoped that it wouldn't take the rest of the team too long to realize that they were gone.


	7. Revelations Again

"Mommy, I'm so scared."

These were Rubyjane's words to Abby as they sat together in what Abby deduced to be an office of some kind in an old warehouse. Abby had tried as hard as she could to figure out on the journey over where they were, but she wasn't able to, mostly because she'd been blindfolded and was focused on consoling Rubyjane, who was thoroughly freaked out.

They still had no idea who their kidnapper was, but resourceful person that Abby was, she immediately began looking for a way out the second they were locked in. That didn't last too long, though, because what remaining composure that Rubyjane had had, it was completely gone and she burst into tears, wailing for Abby.

It took the scientist over an hour to calm her daughter down, and by that time, she was feeling just as frightened, but she decided, that for the sake of her children, she had to be strong.

"I've got you, baby." Abby murmured to Rubyjane. They were seated together on some kind of old camp bed, and though it was old and smelly, it was better than sitting on the floor. "I've got you, I won't let anything bad happen to you. I promise."

"F-for why are we here?" asked Rubyjane as she yawned and stretched out.

Abby kissed her on the top of her head. "I wish I had an answer."

Rubyjane settled her head on Abby's shoulder and pressed close to her. "Where's Timmy? I want him."

"So do I, Rubyjane. So do I."

The pair stayed quiet, and settled in to wait for the unknown.

* * *

When Gibbs found out from McGee that Abby and Rubyjane had been taken, he was understandably upset, although his frustration manifested in an unusual way.

"Special Agent McGee!"

The man in question jumped and looked up at the sound of his name to see Jenny standing before him at his desk, hands on her hips and eyebrows raised.

"Yes, director?" he asked timidly.

"What are you doing on the floor?"

For McGee was kneeling on the carpet in front of his computer in the space where his chair usually sat.

"Gibbs told me that I don't deserve a chair."

"Oh, really? And how long have you been kneeling?"

"Going on an hour, m'am."

"Well, consider your punishment lifted." Jenny pointed to McGee's chair, sitting in front of the file cabinet. "You can use your chair again."

McGee thanked her and moved his chair back, sitting down gratefully and stretching out his legs.

Jenny walked into the middle of the bullpen and spoke to McGee, Gibbs, Tony, and Ziva at large.

"Does anybody have a lead on whoever took Abby and Ruby?"

"No, director." Tony told her. "We really _are_ at a loss right now, and we've been looking since McGee alerted us."

"This guy also knew where all of the cameras were." Tony added, motioning towards the plasma, where abduction footage was playing on a loop. "He's wearing a lot of things that would throw off a facial recognition program, and we never see him look at the cameras."

"Anything like tattoos visible?"

"Unfortunately, no."

Jenny turned to Ziva. "Anything from the missing persons or Amber Alerts?"

"Nothing yet, m'am. I—"

Ziva was interrupted by McGee's computer suddenly started beeping frantically. She, Jenny, Tony, and Gibbs gathered around his desk.

"What is it, McGee?" asked Jenny.

"I finally got a hit off those fingerprints that Abby couldn't identify earlier!"

Gibbs braked, "Put it up on the plasma!"

McGee did as told and when they all migrated over to the plasma, Jenny immediately felt like she was going to throw up: they were looking at a personnel file of their prime suspect, and she recognized him.

Out of the corner of her eye, Jenny saw Ziva stiffen in horror as she also recognized the man. But Jenny knew that for all the flashbacks that she, herself, was being flooded with, Ziva's were far more traumatic.

"What's his name?" Jenny asked through clenched teeth.

McGee reported, "His name is Tariq Al-Mubarak."

That's when Ziva let loose a sound that only Jenny had ever heard from her before—a terrified shriek.

"You told me he was _dead!"_ she accused angrily. "You _lied!"_

"Ziva, I thought he _was_ dead!" Jenny responded in protest. "Why _would_ I lie?"

Ziva didn't answer, instead pushing her way through Gibbs, Tony, and McGee. There was an unmistakable look of burning rage in her eyes. Jenny hurried after her.

"Ziva, don't you dare! We need him _alive!"_ Jenny called. "No! You stay _out_ of the elevator and the stairway!"

Jenny lived up to her name and began shepherding her former partner towards the break room, talking to her, all the while. As they passed the elevator, it opened to reveal Ducky and Palmer. They'd come up to visit the rest of the team because things were at a complete standstill in Autopsy, and because they were desperate to see how things were moving along in the search for Abby and Ruby. However, the sight of Jenny actively corralling a terrifying angry Ziva away from the exits was enough to confuse them.

Palmer turned to Ducky. "Doctor, is Director Shepard shepherding the assassin?"

"That's a rather blunt and colorful way to put it, Mister Palmer, but it would appear so. Let us go see what's happening."

They walked over to the bullpen to see Gibbs, Tony, and McGee staring towards the main staircase, where Jenny and Ziva were arguing heatedly. Their voices were even carrying.

Palmer spoke in a tone of even further puzzlement. "Since when does the director know _Hebrew?"_

Upon realizing that Ziva was out for blood, she and the director had gone from using English to using Hebrew to communicate.

"Since she and Ziva go all the way back to Israel." Gibbs replied.

"And how far back is that?"

"I'm not sure, Palmer, but I do know that they are best friends and have been through a lot together. They'd probably die for each other, too."

Cautiously, Ducky said, "And what, praytell, set Ziva off?"

"Him." Gibbs pointed to the picture on the plasma. "This is Tariq Al-Mubarak, an Afghan national, and our new prime suspect. We don't know why just yet, but Ziva and the director know him somehow."

Just as those words were out of his mouth, everyone heard something from Ziva that they were all sure was a Hebrew swear followed by a hasty apology before Ziva turned and left for the break room. Jenny watched her go before beckoning to the other five to join her by the elevator.

"What is it?" Gibbs asked.

Jenny said nothing, but motioned this time for everyone to follow her, this time into the elevator. When they boarded and the doors closed behind them, Jenny flipped the 'stop lift' switch, stopping it and making the lights go down a few levels.

"First off, we are in the elevator because we are all going straight back to our work spaces after this. Going to my office would just take too long." Jenny said when she saw Palmer's raised hand. "Anything else, gentlemen, or are we good?"

There was a tone of general agreement, and Palmer even lowered his hand as they shuffled around as best they could to get comfortable. When all eyes were on Jenny, she began.

"Another lifetime ago, I was Special Agent Gibbs' partner, but to be more precise, I was his probie—that's how we met. Not long after we parted ways, I was assigned to an undercover mission overseas, and a bodyguard was required."

"Where did you go?" McGee asked.

"That's neither here nor there, but after several searches, I was directed to The Mossad where I met Ziva's father, who is the director, and in turn, he introduced me to a teenage Ziva and recommended her for me. She and I became fast friends by the end of that mission, and now, she and I are so close that she's like a mixture of a probie, daughter, little sister, and extremely dear friend. We would do _anything_ for each other, and believe me, the strength of our friendship and loyalty has been put to the test many times over the years because of the nature of our adventures… but there is one time that stands out above all others."

Having heard the story already from Ziva, Tony said nothing, so he watched as Ducky made an inquiry.

"What would that one time be?"

Jenny sighed. "We had a second undercover assignment, but 9/11 happened a week after we were done, and because her father was so impressed with us, he reassigned us as partners to a special task force. It's the mission we had in Kabul that's been giving me pause while I remember it because we were abducted."

Queried Gibbs, "Was Tariq Al-Mubarak your abducter?"

"No, the people who took us weren't _that_ high in the pecking order, but Al-Mubarak definitely ruled the roost. We just didn't know his name until today, and when we escaped, I thought he was dead and I told Ziva that he was because I believed it."

Palmer put his hands in a time-out position. "Did she accuse you of lying to her when you two were having that 'loud chat' in Hebrew?"

"Yes."

"What the hell happened that made Ziva freak out?" McGee blurted.

"Al-Mubarak realized she's an Israeli, and he… he… raped her while I was forced to watch. If I looked away, one of his people would beat me until I looked again."

Gibbs, McGee, Ducky, and Palmer were horrified by the story and said nothing, while Tony, on the other hand, was already thinking of going rogue so he could hunt Tariq Al-Mubarak down. He needed to pay for everything he'd done.

Next to Tony, McGee's heart was filling with fear for the safety of Abby, Rubyjane, and the baby.

McGee forced himself to speak. "How did you guys get out?"

"There was an explosion at the place we were being held because a local gang invaded, looking for trouble. Ziva and I escaped without detection because it was absolute pandemonium, and we eventually made it safely back to Israel. The real shocker didn't come until we were back home at her parents' farm house just outside Tel Aviv."

"What was it?"

"Ziva fell pregnant from he encounter with Tariq Al-Mubarak, and she had a very beautiful baby girl named Sarai. Unfortunately, she had a heart defect and passed away from complications just after her third birthday."

Something clunked into place in Ducky's brain. "But now that yours and Ziva's monster is back, she either wants revenge in some fashion, or else to kill him, but she's also worried for Abigail and Rubyjane."

"You got it." Jenny told him. "I'm about to let us off the lift now, and I'm going to go check on Ziva, but I want the rest of you to start looking into Tariq Al-Mubarak and people related to him."

"We'll find information information about him and what he's up to." said Gibbs, cottoning on. "We'll probably find something about Lieutenant Clarkson if we go down that avenue of investigation."

He turned to Jenny and spoke in a pointed tone.

"Anything else you feel like sharing, director?"

She knew he meant their relationship and the baby, but she just shook her head. "Not at the moment, no."

"Alright, then." Gibbs turned the elevator back on and the doors opened. "Let's go."

Everybody but Ducky and Palmer exited the lift when the doors opened (they stayed on to go back down to Autopsy) and piled out. Gibbs headed back to the bullpen, but Jenny pulled Tony and McGee aside, feeling like a kindergarten teacher as she spoke to them individually.

"Director, are you alright?" Tony asked her. "We're all concerned for Ziva, but nobody's asked about you even though you saw these things happen, too."

Realizing that Ziva had probably only just told him the story from her own perspective, Jenny was moved by Tony's thoughtfulness.

"I'm feeling a little mixed up and worried, but I'll be safe as long as I don't leave NCIS; thanks for asking, Special Agent DiNozzo."

"You're welcome."

Jenny smiled for a second before becoming serious. "Now I have to ask you—are you in love with Ziva, like I think you are?"

To his credit, Tony answered with zero hesitation. "Yes. Yes, I am."

Jenny gave him a real smile. "I'm sure you'll tell her in your own time, but please look after her and make sure that she doesn't do anything stupid… at least not alone. Am I understood?"

"Absolutely, m'am."

"Good man." she patted his arm. "Go back to your desk, please."

Tony bowed himself out of the conversation, leaving just Jenny and McGee. Unlike Tony, however, McGee was not as adept at maintaining his own composure.

Jenny realized this when she heard McGee talk, but it sounded like a long run-on sentence with no spaces.

"Slow down and try again." she encouraged.

Fighting a blush, McGee tried again. "I said that I'm seriously in love with Abby and I have been since the day I met her. I don't feel uncomfortable telling you because you didn't create The Rules."

"If we're laying all the cards on the table, I helped create a few of The Rules, but I'm not as rigid about them as Gibbs is. I am glad you can tell me what you're thinking about what's going on in your life outside of this job, though."

"You are?"

"I am, because I would like to be friends with you. Also, it's about time that you admitted—out loud—that you're in love with Abby." Jenny grinned her distinctive crooked grin at him. "I may not have arrived at NCIS when you did, but one of the first things I realized when I got here is that you are crazy about Abigail Aria Sciuto."

McGee laughed nervously. "Glad we got that out of the way."

Jenny went at the next part of the conversation like a freight train. "Are you scared that Tariq Al-Mubarak is going to hurt our friends?"

"Yes, and I don't know if I'd be able to handle it if something happened to her, or to Ruby, or to the baby."

"We are doing everything we can to find them before anything catastrophic arises."

"Okay…"

Jenny arched an eyebrow. "You want to be a family with them, huh?"

"Am I that transparent, director?"

"Only when it comes to Abby." In a motherly sort of way, Jenny reached up and straightened out McGee's collar where it had folded over. "Do you want my advice about something concerning women's feelings?"

Taken aback because that had to have been the weirdest question she'd ever asked him, McGee's response came out as a question.

"Sure…?"

"Abby and Ruby have both gone through some serious trauma in the last twenty-four hours alone. Before you seriously try wooing Abby, in which I believe you will excel, just focus on helping her and Ruby heal."

"That is very good advice, director. Thank you."

"You're welcome. And Tim?"

"Yes?"

"You are very good for Abby and Rubyjane—the waiting will be worth it."

Despite the darkness of the hour, McGee's heart lightened. "Thank you again—that means a lot."

"I'm glad." Jenny physically steered McGee around and pushed him back towards the bullpen. "Now go figure out how to bring back the missing part of our family while I go check on Ziva."

The two parted ways, and Jenny found Ziva in the break room at the same table where she'd told Tony about Sarai.

This time, Ziva was all cried out and was leaning back in a chair, staring into space, one hand plastered over her midriff. When she realized that Jenny was approaching and sitting with her, she offered her a weak smile.

"I apologize for my behavior, Jen." she said. "It was unbecoming of me to tear you apart, even it was in Hebrew, and you and I were the only ones who understood."

"I accept your apology, and I was as surprised as you were. I really thought that Tariq died in that raid."

"Truly?"

Jenny nodded and then motioned towards her friend's middle. "Ziva, do you see what you're doing?"

Upon realization, Ziva withdrew her hand, but then she made a face like she was about to cry. Jenny immediately moved to a vacant chair beside her old partner.

"Use your words, but don't forget to breathe."

Ziva did as told, grateful for the older woman's patience as she tried a second time. "Where do I _begin?_ I am terrified that Tariq will hurt them, but I also want to kill him for everything we suffered because of him."

"I'm touched—I think—but you know as well as I do that killing Tariq Al-Mubarak would be completely counterproductive."

"So therein lies the rub, does it not? I do not hate often, in spite of the things I have done over the years, but I hate him for having his men hurt you and for taking my virginity, not even because he was a stranger."

"Was it because you weren't married, or because you weren't at the age of consent?"

"Both." Ziva admitted. "He made me feel filthy, and you know how long it took me to heal."

Jenny nodded. "Yes, I do."

Ziva sighed heavily. "At the same time, though, he gave me Sarai."

"He did, and I remember everything about that precious girl, especially the sound of her voice and her delightful giggles. I also remember how peaceful she was, even when she knew she was ill—Sarai would not want you to be angry like you are at the moment."

"And it is for Sarai and the love I had for her because she was my daughter that I will not hurt Tariq."

"That's very mature of you."

"Thanks…"

Her thoughts trailed off, and Jenny noticed.

"Get it off your chest."

"Earlier, I was thinking of how much I want to be a mother again. Spending time with Rubyjane and getting her dressed to come for a visit to NCIS reminded me of getting Sarai ready in the mornings. She was always remarkably cheerful, early riser that she was."

"Motherhood looked wonderful on you, Ziva, and it will again when the time is right."

Ziva gave Jenny an inquisitive look. "Something is up with you. You are gl—"

Jenny smirked, easily picturing Ziva's thought process. "Fiinish the word."

"Glowing. You are _glowing!"_ Ziva lit up. "Jen, are you _pregnant?"_

"Yes!"

Every last feeling of sadness and hostility that Ziva had been feeling evaporated as she stood and pulled Jenny to her feet.

"Mazel tov, Jenny! Who—"

Ziva made to ask who the father was, but was interrupted.

"There you are, Ziva!"

Gibbs had appeared and was holding out her backpack.

Jenny quipped pointedly, "Speak of the handsome devil."

Ziva crossed the room and took her backpack from Gibbs. "Do we have a new case?"

"Not necessarily. DiNozzo will fill you in."

Ziva put her backpack on and turned to Gibbs and Jenny, smiling. "I wish you and your growing family lots of joy and happiness."

Ziva's friends thanked her, but when she left, Gibbs turned to Jenny. "You told her?"

"Leroy, she figured it out." Jenny took a step back and framed her middle to show off how noticeable the shape was. "Abby and Ziva can keep secrets, but whoever is in here won't be able to for much longer. We _have_ to start telling people."

"Alright." Gibbs agreed, mostly because Jenny had used his actual name. "After this case."

Jenny breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you. Now go catch up with the rest of out kids before McGee has to stop Ziva from killing Tony over a stupid movie reference or a stupider joke."

Taking leave of his lover, Gibbs headed out into the squad room to see Ziva, Tony, and McGee gathered by the elevator.

"You are kidding!" he heard Ziva say to the others.

"What are we kidding about?" Gibbs asked when he joined them.

His underlings jumped, and Ziva sputtered, "N-nothing!"

"That's what I thought." Gibbs pressed the down elevator button and the door slid open immediately. "Did either of your buddies tell you who our latest victim is yet?"

Ziva nodded as they boarded the lift and the doors closed.

Ziva nodded as they boarded the lift and the doors closed again. "It is Lieutenant Dancy. The plot is thickening, as they say."

"It absolutely is." Gibbs pressed a button on the button panel and the lift started making its journey down to the first floor. "It absolutely is."


	8. Abby's Terrors

As it turned out, Dancy had been shot execution style and then left behind a diner in a popular part of town, so he could be found quickly.

The team also learned the more important connection between him and Onyx: they were both in the drugs and weapons trading business. Dancy had already been in the business for awhile, and after Onyx told him he was short on money and needed a lot to take care of Rubyjane, he invited him in, soon introducing Onyx to Tariq Al-Mubarak. Realizing it would be better to have another person from the American government working on their side, he recruited Onyx immediately.

* * *

Tonight, however, things were going haywire.

They'd heard through the grapevine that the FBI had a lead about where they were, and that it was just a matter of time before they were flushed out.

That being said, though, Dancy was restless and wanted to do something, so he talked Tariq into letting him do an abduction. When Tariq did some research on Dancy's intended target, however, and he learned that Abby was part of NCIS, Tariq wasn't able to resist looking up who she worked with. As he went through the profiles of Abby's teammates, he saw a familiar face: Ziva's.

A new plan formed in his head: he was to do the abducting of Abigail Scuito and use her as bait to draw Ziva out. He remembered her very clearly, and now that they were in the same town, he wanted to see her again… _have_ her again.

Things began going haywire when Onyx realized that she was going on. Yes, he had relinquished his rights to his family, and yes, he would admit to physically assaulting Abby in front of Rubyjane, and even being drunk in front of both of them, wasn't about to let Abby, Rubyjane, or the baby be harmed because of a situation they shouldn't have been involved in in the first place.

In demonstration of his anger, Onyx shot Dancy and left to dump his body.

While he was gone, Abby was paid a visit by Tariq Al-Mubarak himself, trying to talk her into giving Rubyjane to him; he was going to make sure that the little girl was brought to safety.

In full-on 'protective mama bear' mode, Abby wasn't having it.

* * *

"The _hell_ you'll keep her safe!" Abby growled, holding Rubyjane close to her body. "I am her mother—she stays with me!"

 _SLAP!_

In response to Abby's anger, Tariq had slapped her across the face, an attempt to put her in her place. Abby's face now felt like it was on fire, but to her credit, she stood her ground and cradled Rubyjane closer, even covering her ears to the best of her ability so she couldn't hear what was going on. Abby even kept glaring at their abductor as he spoke again.

"Miss Sciuto, you would do well to listen to me right now."

"Oh, yeah? And why is that?"

"Taking your little girl was never part of the plan, so there is no need to traumatize her any further. We are to be changing locations before the FBI finds us, and you are coming, whether you like it or not."

Abby had complete faith in the NCIS team and that they were looking for her and Rubyjane by this point. She was also sure that if the FBI showed up first, they would look after her and Rubyjane until they could be returned to NCIS. Abby and Rubyjane just needed to stay put.

"Give her to me, Miss Scuito." repeated Tariq.

Abby promptly spat at his feet. "No!"

 _SLAP!_

Tariq slapped Abby a second time and sneered, "Your only saving grace is that you are with child in more ways than just one."

"What if I wasn't?"

"I would get to know you and have you the same way I did Ziva."

At that, Abby's heart lurched, and her 'mama bear' façade dropped. "What the hell did you do to her?"

"It was years ago," Tariq said in a tone of dismissal. "But it was in Afghanistan, and it was nothing that I would not do again to her _or_ Jennifer."

Abby's heart lurched a second time. "What did you do to _her?"_

Tariq ignored the question. "If you will not cooperate, then on your on your own head be it. I have other ways that will ensure your cooperation."

He left the room, locking the door behind him.

Too upset to feel anything besides anger and fear, Abby uncovered Rubyjane's ears, and the little girl sat up and gazed at her in concern.

"Mommy, I love you." she offered, trying to reassure her.

Abby held Rubyjane's tiny hands in her and gave them gentle kisses. "I love _you,_ forever and ever, no matter what happens. You may not have grown in my tummy, but you grew next to my heart."

Astonished, Rubyjane forgot to be scared and queried, "I _did?"_

"Yep, and that's how I knew you were going to be my baby bumblebee."

Rubyjane's was flattered, but just as quickly, her tiny brow knit with concern again.

"Talk to me." Abby told her, giving her a gentle back rub. "Come on."

Rubyjane's bottom lip trembled. "I want _Timmy!_ I _love_ him!"

"So do I."

Those words gave the little one peace, though, because she relaxed against Abby and let her hold her again.

Their peace and quiet was very short-lived.

After fifteen minutes, the door to their holding room banged open, and Onyx came staggering in, looking like he'd just come out worse in a fistfight.

"Abby, you stupid bitch! Why couldn't you just listen to me!"

Abby didn't take well to name-calling, especially bad ones directed at her, so she bristled.

"Oh, so your boss roughs you up and then sends you to us?"

Onyx rolled his eyes. "I told you to stay away, didn't I?"

"Excuse me—Ruby and I were taken against our will, so it's not like we had much of a choice, but drugs and weapons? Really?"

"Fort Runnymede was paying nowhere near enough money in a timely manner that I needed for Ruby, especially her hearing devices."

Abby was all-too-aware of Rubyjane in her lap, hiding her face from Onyx, but she still gave a little jump when the little's bladder unclenched and she accidentally peed all over her lap, frightened by her parents' bickering.

Onyx could read the toddler like a book. "Rubyjane, did you mess yourself? What did I say about that?"

The little girl turned around and stared at him in horror. "No! No soap! No, no, no!"

Abby put the pieces together. "Onyx, you washed her mouth out with soap because she's wet herself before? She's just a _baby!"_

"Who still doesn't need to see her mommy be NCIS' bait!"

"No!" Abby cried when she realized what he was going to do. "Please, no!"

Onyx ignored Abby, instead speaking to Rubyjane. "Say goodbye!"

"NO! NO! NO!"

Rubyjane tried in vaine to run from Onyx, but he was too quick for her and picked her up in his arms. Abby's protests immediately joined her daughter's.

"Onyx, no! Please don't take her away from me! I'm begging you!"

Indeed, even though Abby was filthy, cold, hungry, scared, and in tears, she was on her knees, begging for her daughter.

"I'll do anything you want, but just please don't take Ruby away!"

Onyx paused for a fraction of a second to look at Abby, and when he took in how desperate and scared she was, he thought about putting Rubyjane back and walking away for good, but the very next second, his mind was completely set.

"I'm sorry, Abby," was all Onyx could say as he continued on out the door, closing it behind them.

When Abby was alone, she let out an anguished wail of despair and began to weep as she had never wept in her entire life.


	9. A Breakthrough

Less than half an hour after the catalyst of Abby's waking nightmare, Jenny received a phone call from the front desk of NCIS, on the first floor that had her on her feet and out the door to the elevator the second she'd hung up.

When the elevator opened and Jenny disembarked, she didn't stray far from it.

"McGee! Ziva!" she called. "I'm borrowing both of you right now!"

Puzzled but compliant, they hurried towards her, not daring to say anything until they were all on the lift, and it was in motion again.

"What is happening?" Ziva asked.

"Rubyjane just turned up here, and she's currently wandering around in the lobby."

McGee immediately pummeled the down button on the button panel, wanting to make it go faster. "How the hell did she get here, director?"

"I don't know." Jenny confessed. "I didn't wait long enough to hear."

After what seemed like an eternity, although it was only forty-five seconds, the elevator finally stopped, and McGee, Ziva, and Jenny piled out.

They found Rubyjane almost immediately. She was wandering around by the benches in a very small circle, not saying very much of anything. She didn't even seem to notice that everybody in the lobby was watching her. She was also drenched, having been caught in the downpour of rain that had started outside.

Once Jenny got everyone else to go about their business, she, McGee, and Ziva quietly approached Rubyjane, still a safe distance away from her.

"Have either of you ever seen a kid in shock before?" McGee asked his companions.

"Yes, we have." Jenny said, flashing back to hers and Ziva's most traumatizing adventure.

"It was in Afghanistan, and the child had escaped had escaped his house being blown to pieces. His name was Aasif." explained Ziva. "He was dirty, lost, and very scared. We looked after him for two days before we were able to locate his mother and reunite them."

"How did you get the little guy's attention?"

"We called to him at first," Jenny recalled. "And then Ziva ended up bribing him with an apple she had in her big rucksack."

"Well, I don't have anything like an apple on me, so I'll just talk to her."

At that, the other two backed away, leaving McGee on his own.

"Rubyjane?" he called. "Can you look over here? Please, Rubyjane?"

That question brought her back to her senses because she turned at the sound of her name, and when she saw McGee, she burst into tears of joy and made a beeline straight for him.

"Hey, kid." McGee said as he picked her up. "You're all wet from the rain outside, but I'm so happy to see you!"

Rubyjane did her best to be cheerful. "Me, too! You!"

McGee smoothed Rubyjane's hair out of her face, where it had become plastered to it by the rain, and he even wiped her tears for her. "How did you get here tonight?"

"Daddy." she mumbled, wiping more tears.

"Any idea where he went?"

Rubyjane blew a raspberry, signifying that she neither knew nor cared—she was only a toddler, and she'd already completely given up on Onyx, ready to consider him a thing of the past. From this point on, the only man befitting the role of her father was the man whose arms she was in.

"Are you hungry?" McGee asked her.

"Ye—ACHOO!"

Rubyjane interrupted herself with a massive sneeze, and McGee immediately held her out at arm's length. The little girl thought it was hilarious and let out joy-filled giggles, but Ziva rolled her eyes and plucked Rubyjane out of McGee's hold and sat her on her own hip.

"Rubyjane is a _child,_ Timothy, not a stick of dynamite." she chided. "It is not like a sneeze of hers will kill you."

"But—"

"Let the one of us three adults here who has actually _been_ a parent do something parental."

Ziva reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a packet of travel-sized tissues. Extracting two from the pack, she put the pack back and held one tissue to the leaky end of Rubyjane's nose.

"Blow, my sweet." Ziva encouraged. "Come on."

Rubyjane fussed at her briefly, but still followed through, out of breath when she finished.

"Done?" she asked hopefully.

"Once more."

Making another fuss, Rubyjane blew her nose on the second tissue, again slightly out of breath at the end. Ziva cleaned up the remaining mucus before it could start crusting over and then disposed of the used tissues in a nearby trash bin.

"Good girl." Ziva praised her as they walked back to the others. "Good girl."

Rubyjane just nodded and then interlocked her arms around Ziva's neck, and her legs around Ziva's waist.

"What now?" Ziva asked Jenny. "She has just turned into a baby koala."

"We get new, dry clothes and shoes for her."

McGee said, "Okay, but where?"

Jenny looked from him to Ziva. "Did either of you know that NCIS has a daycare facility that includes an overnight service for the children of the employees that do the overnight shifts?"

"No." they said in unison.

"That's where Ziva and I are going to go help RJ feel more like a human, alright?"

"Wait." McGee said as he worked out the director's words. "Where does that put me, m'am?"

Jenny pulled a black platinum charge card from her jacket pocket and handed it to him. "You, my friend, are going down to the cafeteria to get the most kid-friendly thing for RJ, but also make sure it isn't steeped in sugar."

Ziva nodded in agreement. "The last thing we need is for her to be up all night."

"Most kid-friendly thing, but not a sugar overload." McGee echoed. "Got it."

"Good man." Jenny told him. "When you're done, just meet us upstairs, okay? We'll probably be awhile."

"Understood."

As McGee went back to the elevator so he could take it to the cafeteria level, Jenny motioned for Ziva and Rubyjane to follow her down a hallway past the main reception desk.

"If someone ever asks you where the daycare facility is," Jenny said as they passed through a set of double doors. "Or I finally end up getting another niece or even a nephew from you to spoil, you can tell them it's back here."

Ziva's tone was almost a whine of protest. "What was that part about _'finally,'_ Jen?"

Jenny smirked. "Exactly what it sounds like… plus, I see how you look at Tony."

Ziva groaned.

Rubyjane yawned and rested her head on Ziva's shoulder.

"Stay awake, my sweet." Ziva gave Rubyjane's cheek a kiss. "You can do it."

Rubyjane scowled. "How much longer?"

"Just a little bit."

The little girl made a harumphing noise, but said nothing, so Ziva looked around. They were in one long hallway with many doors on either side, each one marked with different age groups. The corridor was also brightly decorated with posters and other things that would be appealing to kids. It was hard to remember that they were still on NCIS property.

"Where exactly are we going?" Ziva asked Jenny.

"Here." Jenny held open the door that led to the three-year-olds hallway. "We're going to visit Lauren McGarry—she's the nighttime director for the three-year-olds program. Her office is at the end of the hallway, just ahead."

"How do you know this much?"

"I bump into her in the cafeteria when I stretch my legs at night."

Lauren McGarry was a young woman around Ziva's age, and when they found her, she was just closing a file cabinet where she'd put some papers away.

"Director Shepard! Officer David!" she said in surprise. "What brings you back here?"

"Director McGarry," Jenny said to the younger woman. "Officer David and I would like to introduce you to Miss Rubyjane Lily Clarkson. She's three, and she's been abandoned for the second time in one day by her father, who is currently in a lot of trouble and we don't know where he is."

McGarry cast a look at Rubyjane before asking, "Where is her mom? She looks like she could be Abby Sciuto's kid."

"Funny that you should mention her." Ziva remarked. "Abby is her adoptive mother, but she has been abducted, and we are looking for her. We suspect that Rubyjane could give us a clue about things, but first, we would like to get her clean things to wear, and perhaps a cot, blanket, and pillow, as well, since it is presently pouring kittens and puppies outside."

McGarry stared.

"She means 'raining cats and dogs.' English isn't her first language." Jenny said quickly. "Do you have supplies we can take upstairs? We're looking after Rubyjane tonight."

Recovering, McGarry beckoned for the party to follow her. "I'll put everything together and get someone to bring everything upstairs, but come this way, please."

They followed her to what looked like a huge walk-in closet because everywhere they looked, they saw containers of all kinds clothing articles in toddler sizes. Everything was divided by gender, and there were even tables and changing stalls provided, too.

"Take whatever you need." McGarry told Ziva. "Director Shepard and I will go get the rest of the things that Rubyjane will require."

"Thank you."

When they left, Ziva closed the door behind them and set Rubyjane on the table closest to the little girl clothes.

"Rubyjane," Ziva said as she checked her clothing size. "Do you like dresses or pants?"

Rubyjane thought for a minute. "Dresses!"

"What is your favorite color?"

"Purple!"

Ziva winked at her. "Mine, too. Let me find a dress for you."

"Wait!"

Curious about the command, Ziva moved closer to Rubyjane. "Yes, little friend?"

"I'm itchy 'cause daddy did something."

Wondering if she should be worried, Ziva asked, "What was it?"

Rubyjane lifted her dress and pointed to a piece of paper stuck halfway down her leggings.

"That."

Carefully, Ziva extracted the paper and gave Rubyjane's hip a maternal caress.

"Does that feel better now?"

Rubyjane gave a nod and breathed a sigh of relief. "What's it say?"

"Never you mind, my sweet—we grown-ups will sort it out." Ziva told her. "Now how about you talk to me about something fun while I find you something to wear?"

And so Ziva was treated to another lecture/rambling on bumblebees.

After a few minutes, she found a purple dress in the right size, and in Rubyjane's range of satisfaction. Still wet from the rain, Rubyjane cooperated with Ziva when she dried her off with a towel and put her in a purple dress, a fresh pull-up, green tights, and yellow rain boots. Rubyjane was very thankful for the new things, and she even stayed still when Ziva styled her hair into a messy top-knot bun and even tied in a headband in a 1950s housewife style to keep the stray hair out of her eyes.

"No jammies?" Rubyjane asked as she admired her reflection.

Ziva shook her head. "Not right now, because you are going to eat soon."

Rubyjane looked over at the closet and then at her caretaker.

"Okay." Rubyjane clicked her heels in perfect imitation of Dorothy Gale in The Wizard Of Oz. "I like jammies with feet."

"Good to know. I will see what I can find."

Before long, Ziva had packed Rubyjane an overnight bag and was getting ready to go find Jenny and Director McGarry again.

"Ziva?" Rubyjane said suddenly.

Ziva crouched down in front of her. "Yes, my sweet?"

Rubyjane held Ziva's hand in hers. "Do you have kids?"

"Not anymore. I had a little girl once."

"What was her name?"

"Sarai. She would have really loved you."

Rubyjane tilted her head to the side, curious. "What happened?"

"Sarai went to heaven too soon."

Rubyjane looked sad for Ziva and patted her face gently. "I'm sorry she's gone."

"Thank you, Rubyjane."

The little girl hugged her friend. "I'll be your baby _here."_

Ziva wanted to cry, but she also didn't want to spook Rubyjane, so she kept it together.

"Thank you, Rubyjane. That means a lot, and I would love it."

Rubyjane turned bashful. "Want another hug?"

"Yes, please."

Rubyjane hugged Ziva. "I love you."

Ziva hugged her in return. "I love you, too."

* * *

Eventually, enough supplies had been acquired for Rubyjane, and she, Ziva, and Jenny were back in the squad room.

Rubyjane wouldn't let McGee out of her sight, so it was from the security of his lap that she ate chicken nuggets and apple slices at her friend's desk.

That left Ziva, Jenny, Tony, Ducky, McGee, and Palmer powwowing around his desk.

"Did anybody learn anything new?" McGee asked.

"I found this in Rubyjane's leggings when I was changing her."

Ziva showed them the note they'd found, now in an evidence bag.

"It is a note from Onyx Clarkson, complete with two addresses and a confession."

"You found this tucked into her _leggings,_ though?" Gibbs asked as he took the note to read for himself.

"Daddy didn't want to get in trouble." Rubyjane piped up.

"Oh, really?" Gibbs asked interestedly. "Anything else?"

Rubyjane giggled, nervous to have his attention. "Uh-uh."

"Okay, RJ. Go back to your dinner now."

Rubyjane saluted him and occupied herself with her food again.

Gibbs read the note and passed it to Jenny.

"Read this, Jen." he told her.

She donned her glasses, took the note, and began to read aloud.

 _To whom it may concern,_

 _Abby is at 61178 Seminole Road as I write this, but by the time you get here, she could have been moved to 62708 Piscataway Street. I did not mean for her or Rubyjane to get taken, but I am responsible for the death of Lieutenant Silas Dancy. I am also sorry for abandoning Abby, and both of my children, too._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Lieutenant Onyx Courtland Clarkson_

"What do we do?" Tony asked. "I heard through the grapevine that the FBI is already sniffing around."

"Go these places and look for Abby!" barked Jenny. "Put out a BOLO for Clarkson, too!"

McGee spoke up. "Uh, director?"

She turned to him. "Yes, McGee?"

"What do I do about RJ?"

"I'm so not taking a toddler into MTAC while I watch you all in the field, so I'll get help to move all of her things into my office. I'll also ask one of the MTAC techs make sure I'm completely patched in on my computer so I can keep track from there."

A plan fell into place after that, and the next thing Jenny knew, her office was being inhabited by a toddler and her belongs, while one of the MTAC techs was tinkering away on her desktop computer, getting it ready for her to monitor Gibbs and the others as they headed out into the field.

When Jenny looked over at Rubyjane, she saw that she was on her cot and munching away on her food, staring into space as she did and humming to herself. Thirty minutes ago, she'd been soaking wet, scared, worried, and stressed out. Now, she seemed for the moment, totally unconcerned.

What I wouldn't give to be that carefree right now, Jenny thought. I hope we find Abby soon.


	10. Rescue

Abby put up a fight about being moved from 61178 Seminole Road to 62708 Piscataway Street because they were on opposite ends of town. For her trouble, she was hit again and warned that next time, a gun would be used instead of a hand.

What truly terrified Abby was that she and Tariq Al-Mubarak were the only ones who changed locations. At the first location, Tariq shot every one of his cronies and then proceeded to set the place on fire. Abby also hadn't seen Onyx, but she sincerely hoped that he'd stay away long enough to get caught.

* * *

Because McGee was behaving like a scary force of nature to be reckoned with, Gibbs had no trouble in letting him take the lead in the field. Once they struck out at Seminole Road, they went to Piscataway Street with the local LEOs and the ambulance paramedics hanging back, waiting to be allowed to come help. Ducky and Palmer were also en route.

When McGee and the others approached the building, they found that it was a long-since abandoned shoe factory. It was the perfect place to hide out.

Surveying the perimeter first, Ziva was the first person to say something.

"McGee, Tony, Gibbs!"

Ziva had found something, and she was having a hard time wrapping her mind around it, just because of the kind of day they'd been having.

"Ziva, what is it?" McGee asked.

Ziva pointed to the sight in front of her: a parked car next to the side of the building. It was a regular family car, but as the whole area was already abandoned, it was already suspiciously out of place.

"It is Lieutenant Clarkson… or, at least what is left of him."

McGee, Gibbs, and Tony shined their flashlights to where she was pointing her own. They were greeted by the sight of Lieutenant Onyx Clarkson in his car, except… he was dead. As they looked closer, it became clear that he'd shot himself in the head.

Ziva finally broke the silence. "Abby will take this roughly. Who is alerting Ducky that there is already a dead body?"

"I will. He and Palmer already on their way." Gibbs looked back at the building. "Abby and Tariq _have_ to be here. There's no other place, but be on your guard, everyone."

Tony nodded in agreement. "Especially because we know that this guy is a firebug."

Ziva cast a questioning look at her partner while Gibbs placed a quick call to Ducky, telling him where to find the body.

"What is a 'firebug'?" she asked curiously.

"A pyromaniac."

Understanding that word, Ziva brightened. "Oh!"

McGee coughed pointedly. "Hello—we have to go get Abby! Remember?"

Ziva nodded and assumed a poker face. "Right. Lead us."

They followed McGee into the factory, and while Gibbs and Tony took the ground floor, McGee and Ziva went to the second floor to have a look around. They met empty room after empty room, until they reached the last one on the left. It was lit, and definitely not empty.

Abby was on the floor in a corner, sitting with her legs tucked up to her chin, as far as they could go because of her baby bump. Her hair had also come undone from the style she'd put it in that morning, and her clothes were dirty and torn. She even had her head tucked in, wanting to protect herself. In a word, Abby's appearance was heartbreaking.

"Abby!" McGee called. "Abby!"

She lifted her head, which felt hard to do because she was very hungry—it'd been quite awhile since the diner now—and the baby was not taking kindly to the lack of anything to eat.

Ziva beckoned to her. "Come along, Abby! Please!"

Abby went from looking worn to looking terrified. "You guys, get out!"

"Not without you!" Ziva beckoned again. "Come along, haver! Please!"

Abby was about to respond when a side door to the room opened, and she fell silent, paralyzed with fear.

While McGee called for Gibbs and Tony, Ziva entered the room with her gun drawn. When she saw who Abby was looking at, she almost felt paralyzed by fear, too.

It was Tariq Al-Mubarak. And he had a gun pointed at her.

"Well, well, well, my little peach blossom." he said coolly. "I am so glad that it is _you_ who has approached me first."

Ziva kept her gun trained on him as she stood just inside the doorway, but she had to fight back the impulse to shoot him on sight as she was flooded with memories of Tariq raping her while Jenny had been forced to watch. Never would she forget the pain and humiliation that Tariq had put her through. She would also never forget the sounds of Jenny while she pled to be left alone by her tormentors while in the next breath, she apologized to Ziva over and over.

Ziva spat at Tariq's feet. "Why do you want _me?_ I am not some old friend, and I thought this was about _Clarkson!"_

"It was," he said nonchalantly. "But neither her nor his friends, nor even his little girl are important."

"Then why so much killing and abducting?" she nodded towards Abby. "What of Abigail? What was the point in traumatizing her and Rubyjane? Do you not see that Abigail is with child?"

Tariq sneered. "Of course I see that she is expecting, but Rubyjane was just 'along for the ride,' as the saying goes. Where Abigail is concerned, I really could care less that she is pregnant. What mattered the most is that _she_ is the one we decided to take."

 _"Why?"_

"Because if she was in trouble, you would surely be the one to come to her aid—and you have."

Ziva realized what Tariq was getting at and she was not happy about it. "You used Abigail as _bait?_ To see _me?"_

Tariq moved towards her, but Ziva held an even tighter aim on him with her weapon.

"Take one more step towards me," Ziva spat. "And I will put a bullet between your eyes!"

"The fact that you already have not shows that you are interested in what I have to say."

Ziva ignored that. "You have me here, after all these years, Tariq! What is it you want of me?"

"To take you back to Afghanistan, and have you again, like last time. You _are_ coming tonight, whether you like it or not."

"LAST TIME, YOU TOOK WHAT LITTLE OF MY INNOCENCE I HAD LEFT BECAUSE YOU RAPED ME, YOU BASTARD! _LAST_ TIME, YOUR PEOPLE HURT MY FRIEND SO BADLY THAT SHE COULD HARDLY WALK, AND SHE HAD TO BE IN REHABILITATION FOR A YEAR! NEVER—IN THIS LIFE, OR THE NEXT, WOULD I LET YOU TOUCH ME LIKE THAT AGAIN! I WOULD RATHER _DIE!"_

Tariq was unfazed by Ziva's outburst, and continued on as if it hadn't happened, saying, "I want to have you again because I've been thinking of no one but you since last time. I want you to bear my children."

"You are a _terrorist!"_ Ziva cried.

"And _you_ are _Mossad,_ are you not?"

"But I have changed and I am well above anything that you would do!"

Again, Tariq was unfazed. "Imagine what a child of ours would be like."

"I already had one." Ziva said shortly.

Finally, Tariq was taken by surprise. "You did?"

"Yes, but she died."

"What was her name?"

"You do not deserve to know."

"If you keep up with that attitude, peach blossom, I will hurt you, and I really do not want to. Perhaps you need the proper incentive to stay the course."

Tariq moved his gun from Ziva, to spot just behind her, on the right. His gun was pointed directly at McGee and Tony.

"HIT THE DECK!" yelled Tony.

Ziva immediately dropped to the floor, protecting her head, and a split second later, she heard two loud gunshots overhead. Tariq Al-Mubrark fell to the floor, dead. Instinctively, Ziva rolled out of the way, to avoid getting hit by his body, but when she came to a stop, she lay on the floor, just trembling.

Tony was beside her in a heartbeat. He moved into another corner with her, on the floor behind some bookshelves, and he held her in his lap.

"You're okay, Ziva." Tony told her as he disconnected their microphones and ear pieces, allowing for some privacy. "That monster will _never_ hurt you or anyone else again."

Ziva felt disappointed in herself. "I should have shot him. Why did I not?"

"Because he got inside your head, but you held him off long enough for McGee and I to shoot him."

Ziva looked at Tony in surprise. "You both did?"

"And at the same time."

Ziva sat up and kissed Tony, although she only reached his throat. She kissed him there a few times, marking him as hers, before leaning against him again.

"Thank you."

By this point, the police forces and paramedics were in the room, but even still, nobody was paying attention to the two of them yet, figuring that they'd ask for help if they needed it. That left Tony free to turn to putty at Ziva's kisses. Which he did, especially when Ziva impulsively gave him a few more kisses. He also felt her tongue on his throat. Ziva was absolutely marking him, and he was happy to let her do so.

Tony gave her a hug and said, "I think I hear them taking out Tariq's body. Can you walk?"

Ziva nodded, but made no effort to move, instead taking one of Tony's hands in hers and slipping it under her shirt and her undershirt, so that it was resting against her bare skin. Holding it in place with both of her hands now, Ziva maneuvered herself so that she was leaning against Tony, head resting slightly on his shoulder as she looked up at him.

"Tony, what do you suppose our children are going to look like?"

Tony felt his stomach do a flip. Had she not bared her soul to him about Sarai and the horrendous event that had made her, and even wanting another baby, and had Ziva not just marked him as her territory by kissing him in such a sexual manner, he would have asked someone to pinch him to make sure he wasn't dreaming. But this was real. This meant that he and Ziva really had a chance at a future together, and a very happy one, at that.

"Our kids will be healthy, smart, strong, and _very_ beautiful." Tony caressed Ziva's middle with a thumb. "All our kids will probably be daughters, too."

Ziva smiled. "You think so?"

He began to glide his hand over Ziva's middle as returned her smile. "I do."

Clearly in a lighter mood now, she raised an eyebrow at him. "Do you think any of them will get your looks?"

Tony kissed Ziva on the lips. "Nah—they'll all be your clones, but I think that at least one of them will have my sense of humor."

Ziva chuckled. "There it is. I love you so much, Tony DiNozzo."

He kissed her brow this time. "And I love _you,_ Ziva David."

Tony stood and pulled Ziva to her feet, motioning towards the exit. "Let's go."

And so they did.

On the other side of the room, poor McGee was having a harder time of things.

Understandably, Abby was feeling traumatized and as a result, she wouldn't let any of the emergency response people, or even Gibbs touch her. Once McGee got them to do other things, or else wait out in the hallway, he appealed to Abby, and she immediately melted into his hold, grabbing on to him very tightly.

Feeling secure, she finally allowed herself to cry. At one point, however, on advice from an EMT keeping watch from the hallway, McGee had to encourage Abby to stop or at least slow down because if she carried on like she was, she was in danger of dehydrating herself.

Abby didn't speak until her tears had stopped altogether.

"Tim, where is Ruby?"

"Onyx dropped her off at NCIS. The director, Ziva and I worked together to take care of her because she got caught in the rain." he explained. "She also had a message from Onyx on her. It turned out to be a confession, an apology, and a clue, all rolled into one."

Abby wiped stray tears from her eyes. "And where is Onyx?"

"Here, but dead—he killed himself."

"Oh." Abby sighed, not feeling any sadness towards that last statement. "Who has Ruby now?"

"The director does. She volunteered to look after her, and I wouldn't be surprised if they've bonded by now."

"I want to see them."

"And you can, but you're going to have to let the parame—Abby?"

Still on the floor, Abby was now sitting up and holding her ankles with her hands as she did breathing excercises.

"I'm seeing stars." she wheezed. "I might…"

Abby didn't finish her sentence, but her thought became clear immediately as she fell backwards in a faint.

McGee daughter her, and called out to the others in the hallway, "I need a medic in here!"

* * *

Meanwhile, back at NCIS, after Jenny received the news that the mission was over, and that Abby was going to go the hospital, she disconnected her computer from the MTAC feed and took off her headset, laying it on her desk.

Normally, she would have gone down to the bullpen to see everyone, but they were all gone, so she just moved from her desk chair to the sofa. Just as she did that, Rubyjane sat bolt upright on her cot, waking from a bad dream.

"Mommy?!"

Jenny matched Rubyjane's frantic tone with a calm one as she beckoned to her, inviting her to the couch.

"She's alright now, RJ. You're safe, with me."

"Auntie Jenny?"

The redhead nodded. "Uh-huh. Your mommy is safe."

Rubyjane pointed to the sofa. "I can go there?"

"Yes, you may." Jenny nodded. "Come on, sweetheart."

Rubyjane got up and crossed the room, her bumblebee stuffi and her blanket in tow. Much like a baby jungle cat, Rubyjane shimmied up on to the sofa easily and got comfortable with Jenny very quickly.

"Mommy is safe?"

Jenny nodded and stroked Rubyjane's hair. "She is."

Rubyjane yawned hugely—she was already falling back asleep. (Jenny was very comfortable) She would have fallen asleep completely, but she grew curious when her hand brushed against something unexpected.

"What's this?"

She was patting Jenny's baby belly, curious about it.

Jenny smiled. "There's a baby in there, RJ. What do you think?"

Rubyjane leaned against Jenny again, draping an arm across it as she kept her toy under her other arm. She got even cozier when Jenny draped her blanket back over her.

Rubyjane let out a huge yawn and said, "I like babies."

"Well, that makes me glad because mine is going to need a friend."

"Me!"

Rubyjane tried to add on an additional thought, but fell asleep in mid-word. Her sleepiness had won out. Jenny kept one arm draped around her little charge, while she rested her free hand on her swollen middle. She could feel the baby's wiggles, and the movements never ceased to thrill her.

As Jenny sat in the quiet, taking in the joy of the moment, she suddenly realized something.

For the first time all day, she was at peace.


	11. Interlude

Abby woke with a start to find that she was in a hospital. The last thing she remembered was fainting in McGee's arms, but she noticed that at some point between that and waking, she'd been bathed, put into a clean hospital gown and then hooked up to various wires and monitors that were monitoring hers and the baby's health. She also saw that she was in a private room, and she was glad, because she wasn't sure if she'd be able to let out all of her emotion the way she wanted to, had she been sharing the room with a stranger.

Looking around, she saw McGee sitting in a chair beside her bed. When he saw that she was awake, he helped her to sit up and have a drink of water. After she had as much as she could handle, McGee put her glass on the bedside table and then sat on the bed with her.

"How are you, Abby?" he asked.

"Exhausted and hungry."

"That's understandable." McGee sympathized as he pointed to the IV needle and line that she was hooked up to. "The doctor said no food or water until that's done. If you're desperate, ice chips are an option."

Abby glanced at the fluid bag and blew a raspberry. "The _last_ time I had ice chips, I was _eight,_ and I'd broken my leg when I was playing in the junkyard. The pain was so unbearable that I couldn't even focus on eating. It was also the hottest summer Jefferson Parish had seen in ten years, and the heat actually gave me heat exhaustion."

"Okay, so no ice chips." McGee said with a laugh. "What the hell were you doing in a _junkyard_ when you were _eight?"_

Abby shrugged. "I was a weird kid, but not as weird as the kid in Sapphire End that did _taxidermy_ for fun…"

"What?!"

"You'll have to come to New Orleans with us for Christmas, and then I can show you." Abby looked again at the IV equipment. "How much longer do I have left?"

"An hour."

"I guess I can work with that."

Abby moved her gaze from the medical instruments to her baby belly, which was exposed and hooked up to a few of the monitors at her bedside. Careful of all of the wires and paper patches, she gave the fleshy mound a few gentle rubs.

"How's the baby?" she finally asked McGee. "Nothing bad to report?"

McGee smiled. "The little guy or girl is as happy as a clam, and very healthy. I saw on the ultrasound they performed on you during the ride over on the ambulance—I rode along because you fainted in my arms."

"I remember that, but how did you get them to let you come?"

McGee kissed Abby's forehead. "I told them that we're engaged."

Abby felt her stomach flip-flop as she pictured, just for a moment, actually being engaged to Special Agent Timothy McGee. She kept her mind from going too far by taking McGee's hands into hers, kissing his palms, and then holding them against her baby bump.

"Thank you for sticking with me." she told him.

McGee kissed Abby's forehead a second time. "I'd do anything for you, Abby. I love you."

In truth, Abby had always had a feeling that McGee loved her—her heart would always belong to him—and even after they ended things during their brief relationship, she hadn't been able to fully let go because of how deep her love for him ran.

So she replied, "I love you, too, and I could never stop."

From that moment on, they both knew that they were back in a relationship, and that they were it for each other forever.

"Who has Rubyjane right now?" she asked.

"The director or Ziva—they've been tag-teaming in taking care of her since we found her."

"I want to see everybody, and I really want to hold Rubyjane."

"Are you sure that seeing them all at once is a good idea?"

Abby raised an eyebrow, almost threateningly. "How else am I supposed to kill an hour?"

"Touché." McGee stood. "I'll be right back."

Much to Abby's relief, McGee wasn't long in collecting the rest of the team and Rubyjane. They'd set up camp in the waiting room and had made a pact to not leave until at least one of them besides McGee had seen Abby.

Leading the way, Ziva approached the bed first.

"I think someone wants to say hello."

Very carefully, she lowered the half-awake Rubyjane down onto the bed and laid her next to Abby.

The goth's eyes filled with tears as she hugged Rubyjane and gave her hugs and kisses, just wanting to make sure that she was really there.

"Hi, sweetheart." Abby whispered. "I'm so happy to see you."

Rubyjane sat up and looked at Abby. When her fog-filled brain registered who she was looking at, she lit up and the fog lifted.

"Mommy! You're safe!"

Abby undid Rubyjane's hairstyle and ran her fingers through the dark locks, making her hair fall to her shoulders. Rubyjane then laid with her head on Abby's chest, wanting to feel her heartbeat.

"How are you?" Abby asked her.

 _"Way_ tired."

"Then just rest."

Eyes already closed, Rubyjane just nodded and fisted the fabric of Abby's gown in one hand, her own way of making sure that she was there.

Ziva stepped forward and spread Rubyjane's blanket over the toddler. Grateful, Rubyjane sank into a deeper sleep immediately.

"She has been using that blanket all night." Ziva explained. "The director collected it, and a few other things while we were minding Ruby."

"Thanks for looking after my girl. I don't know what I would do without her."

Abby looked over to Jenny.

"Thank you, too, director. For everything."

"Of course, Abby."

Jenny stepped forward and gave her a motherly kiss on the forehead.

"Family takes care of family."

"Always." added Gibbs.

Abby looked to the others. "And thank you to the rest of you for everything you did in helping to find me."

Tony replied, "The director and Gibbs are correct—family takes care of family. I'd do anything for you because you're the closest to a sister I've ever had."

Next to him, Palmer gave a nod of agreement. "I don't have any siblings, either, but I totally agree with what Tony said."

Abby grinned. "Thanks, Jimmy. That's really sweet."

Palmer just blushed.

Chuckling at him, Ducky said his piece. "Everything I've been think has already been said, Abigail, but I am extremely relieved that you are safe, and that your children are, as well. Get plenty of rest, my dear."

"Thanks, Ducky. I will."

Abby surveyed everyone in the room, feeling a sudden rush of affection towards all of them.

"I don't know yet what I'm going to do about a funeral for Onyx, but will you all come when I have something figured out?"

Everyone gave words of agreement, with Gibbs adding on, "I'll take care of the arrangements for you, Abby."

"I'll help him." Jenny added. "You won't have to worry about a thing."

Though tired, Abby was thankful, but still overwhelmed by the generosity, and perhaps it showed on her face because McGee spoke up in a very pointed tone.

"Maybe everyone should say goodbye to Abby."

The others realized what she was getting at, but as they all said their goodbyes, Abby called out.

"Ziva, will you stay?"

Surprised, Abby had a brief exchange with Tony and then sat in the chair beside her friend's bed.

When they were alone, Abby spoke first. "I'm sorry, Ziva."

"For what?" she asked, taken aback.

"You had to face one of your demons because of me."

"Had I not faced him and kept him talking for long enough for Tony and McGee to shoot him, he would have probably hurt you like his men had hurt the director in Afghanistan… or _worse._ I did it because your smile always makes me happy, because I value your friendship, because you remind me so much of my sister, and most of all, because you are my family, Abigail."

"Wow…"

"If anything, I should be the one apologizing: you were taken by a terrorist as bait to draw me out. Enduring such a thing is no stroll in the park." Ziva continued. "I must say, though, that I do admire you for standing up to a terrorist. That takes an extra special kind of bravery."

Abby gave Rubyjane another cuddle and started giving her a gentle back rub. "Things change when you become a mom."

Ziva nodded. "They do. You think you will not be able to love someone so much, but then you meet them and it becomes clear immediately that loving your child, no matter how they came to be yours is what you were meant to do."

"Rubyjane fell asleep in my arms the first time I held her, and I've loved her like she was mine ever since. I love the baby like that, too," Abby said thoughtfully. "But I've still never known love like this before."

"It is a wonderful feeling. Being Sarai's mother showed me that."

Abby looked at Ziva curiously. "I know a lot happened tonight, but are you okay? Are you pregnant?"

"I am not pregnant, no, but thoughts of being that way have crossed my mind often since I found Rubyjane."

"Does she remind you of Sarai?"

Ziva nodded. "She does. My daughter was happy, full of joy and peace, and so smart. Even when she was ill, she was always loving us and finding ways to make us all smile."

"Did you tell Rubyjane about her?"

"I told her that she reminded me of her, and that Sarai would have loved her."

Abby cracked a smile. "What did Rubyjane say to that?"

"She was flattered and told me that since Sarai is in heaven, that she would be my baby _here."_

Abby looked down at her daughter and kissed her on the top of her head. "I love that she knows how to love others like that, and that it comes so naturally for her. It makes me so proud."

Even asleep, Rubyjane felt the kiss and she actually hugged Abby.

Ziva watched them and was filled even more for the desire of a little one of her own. Perhaps it was already time to have that chat with Tony.

"Are you okay?"

Ziva jumped when she realized that Abby was watching her again.

"What was that?"

"Now you're just spaced out."

"I am fine, Abigail."

"And that's the second time you've called me by my real name. Are you sure that you're okay?"

"No," Ziva admitted. "But do not worry about me. You just rest with your babies."

Now Abby could tell that there was definitely something that Ziva had to work out of her system, so she decided not to pry any further.

"Okay, Ziva. I will."

The officer stood. "Will you need a ride, or anything tomorrow?"

"Tim is looking after me, so don't worry. Thanks, though."

"You are quite welcome."

Ziva leaned forward and kissed Rubyjane's forehead.

"Sleep well, dear little friend. See you tomorrow."

Ziva then caressed Abby's cheek affectionately.

"Be well, Abby."

"Thank you, Ziva."

With one final wave after she gathered her things, the officer left Abby's room, and after seeing McGee at the end of the hallway and sending him back to Abby's room, she continued on to look for Tony.

She found him in the waiting room, which was empty… except for the two of them.

"How are you doing, sweet cheeks?" Tony asked, getting to his feet.

Ziva smiled, as she always did when Tony called her by that pet name. "I am a mixed bag of emotions, and I cannot be alone—will you come home with me tonight?"

Tony's heart jumped, but he kept his cool and offered her his hand. "Of course I will, Ziva."

She giggled when Tony held her fingers to his lips and kissed them.

"Thank you, Tony." she said. "I love you."

He kissed her cheek this time. "I love you, too."

When they were almost to the hospital parking lot, Tony pulled Ziva aside.

"What's up with you?" he asked gently. "Be real with me."

Ziva absently straightened Tony's collar and looked up at him. "Remember our chat about Sarai, and what I confided in you?"

"You want a baby."

"Yes."

Tony put his hands in the small of Ziva's back, rubbing it. "I also remembered my promise to you. What exactly are you asking right now? I really _will_ do anything to help."

Ziva stood on his tiptoes and gave Tony a passionate kiss on the lips.

"Anything?" she purred.

"Anything—just ask, and I am _with_ you."

Ziva kissed Tony again. "Then can we go try for a baby?"

Tony answered without hesitation. "Yes."

* * *

By the time the pair got back to Ziva's apartment, they could barely keep their hands off each other. Tony had always prided himself on being dominant and confident in bed until he met Ziva, and challenged his ways of thinking about women and flirted with him at every turn.

Then had come the assignment awhile back where they'd been made to go undercover as married assassins. They'd both excelled, but she threw herself into the part, more than he had, especially when it had come to bamboozling the pair of FBI agents that had been spying on them, actually believing their covers. To do that, Tony and Ziva faked having sex. Multiple times.

Even though it had been awhile since then, Tony still thought about it and how real it had felt.

If that had Ziva's definition of 'faking it,' what would the real thing be like?

He found out when they got back to her apartment and she had him pinned against the back of the front door almost immediately. At least they'd put their guns away first.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

Ziva peppered his neck with a trail of hot kisses before answering him.

"I am having fun."

She moved from his throat to his collarbone and with deft fingers, she had Tony shirtless in what felt like the blink of an eye.

"Are _you_ having fun?"

"Ye—oh, God…"

Ziva had kissed her way down Tony's torso and was now planting a fine line of hot kisses just above his pants line, but she was taking her time and putting a lot of lust into the effort.

Immdiatley, Tony felt his pants tighten a considerable amount, and when Ziva slipped her tongue just under his boxes and gave it a quick lick, Tony let out a guttural groan.

"Ziva, come on…" he gasped.

"We have all night, but fair enough."

Ziva rose to her full height and took off her shirt. She followed that by removing her pants, shoes and socks, and doing the same with Tony.

"Is this leveling the playing field? Hey—eyes up here!"

Tony's eyes had gone straight to Ziva's chest, but he snapped back to her eyes when she called him out.

"Sorry, Z." he laughed nervously. "Yes, this does level the playing field."

"Wonderful." she praised. "Before we go any further, I have to know—when you said that you are with me, does that mean helping me parent the child we could make tonight? Does that include loving it?"

Tony moved Ziva around so that she was the one against the door. Next moment, he was on his knees and had his hands on her flat stomach. He even kissed it as he looked up at her again.

"Ziva, you are my partner and my best friend. I will do anything for you, but this—us—is something I want with you. I always have." Tony kissed her middle a few more times. "I love you, Ziva, and if you want, I'll marry you."

Tears brimming in her eyes because of how incredibly loved Tony had just made her feel, Ziva motioned for him to stand. As he did, he wiped Ziva's tears for her, but said nothing.

Ziva caught her lover's hand and held it lovingly against her cheek. "Thank you. And Tony?"

Completely under her spell, Tony had to focus very hard to keep his mind in the conversation.

"Hm? What?"

Ziva patted him on the cheek. "Ask me another time when we are not half-naked and horny to be your wife, and I will say yes."

Words failed Tony at that, so he let Ziva lead him across her apartment to her bedroom.

In contrast with her everyday personality, the furniture in Ziva's room was made of polished black cherry oak, but everything else was bathed in different shades of blue. (Even the underwear and bra set she had on were dark blue) A door against the far wall was open to what Tony presumed was a bathroom, and the space of wall next to that was occupied by a large white-and-blue Israeli flag that was hanging up, in pride of place, tying everything together.

Those were only a few of the details that Tony noticed before Ziva guided him onto the bed and instructed him to lean against the upholstered headrest on the wall, just above the bed.

"What should I do first, my love? Or do you want to watch?"

"I-I just want to watch." he stuttered, hardly daring to believe that this was really happening. "Please."

"Alright, then."

Ziva unhooked her bra, and then in a very teasing way, she lowered her underpants and stepped out of them, so that she was in not a stitch.

After that, Ziva climbed onto the bed and straddled Tony's lap, moving up and down, slowly gently. She didn't take her eyes off him.

"Do you like this?" she asked.

"Yes." he put his hands on her waist, guiding her pace, making her go a little faster. "I do."

"Very good."

She leaned forward and kissed him resoundingly on the lips.

"I love you, Tony."

As she said this, she kissed her way down his body to his boxers. It was very clear that Tony was aroused by his pulse alone, but Ziva knew that the bulge in her partner's pants was because he already had an erection—she'd felt it when she'd been straddling him.

"What have we here, hm?"

Ziva cupped Tony's bulge in one hand hand, squeezing gently. Tony immediately thrust into her hold.

"Ziva, please…"

"We have all night, my love. We have all right."

Ziva pulled down Tony's boxers a fraction of an inch, revealing the head of his cock, and kissed it. Tony let out another loud groan. He wouldn't lie—he was no virgin, and sex had always been a very enjoyable activity for him, but it had been an incredibly long time since he'd met a mix. Five minutes on the bed, and he was already close to coming undone; this was a new record.

"Come on!" he begged. "I'm dying, here!"

"Oh, alright."

Her eyes flickered towards his boxers where there was a very obvious tentpole.

"Shall I help you out?" Ziva cooed.

"Yes." Tony confirmed, although his voice was a rasp.

Still teasing him, Ziva took her time in sliding Tony's cock out of his boxers. Before she could say anything she could in admiration of it, Tony took her by surprise.

In a sudden burst of movement, he grabbed her around the waist and physically flipped her over so that he was on top, and she was on the bottom.

Ziva said, "I did not see that c—ooo…"

Tony ran his cock over Ziva's entrance, just grazing it with the tip. He did this for a few moments, although it felt like forever, a forever that neither one of them wanted to end. Tony's gentleness took Ziva's breath away. When he finally entered her, she let out a soft moan of contentment.

"What about that?" Tony asked.

Ziva went slack and smiled at him. "I am yours. Do not stop."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded and spread her legs. "Yes."

Tony began moving gently inside her, up and down, with gentle strokes.

"How's this?"

He moved closer, so that their bodies were touching completely, and without breaking rhythm, he cradled her head in his hands.

"Perfect." Ziva sighed. "Perfect."

Tony kissed her and continued moving inside her.

"I love you, Ziva." he whispered in her ear. "I love you, I love you, I love you."

She kissed him, although she moaned into it before falling back on the bed as Tony gave a thrust as he picked up the pace.

"I love you, too." she sighed happily. "Always have, always will."

Nothing was said for a long time, and all that could be heard in the bedroom wereTony's and Ziva's sighs and the sounds of their bodies as they made love and gave their souls to each other.

At one point—

"Ziva, I won't be able to control myself much longer!"

"Then do not hesitate."

Almost immediately, Tony erupted inside Ziva, and he shot rope after rope of his hot seed into her, groaning primarily all the while.

When he was done, he fell beside her on the bed, panting.

"I love you, Ziva David." he pulled her close, spooning with her. "You are my soulmate."

She relaxed into his hold, smiling and sighing softly when she felt him slip his cock between her legs, pumping it gently. The sweet friction the sensation created made her feel very alive, even though she was completely spent.

She draped his arm over her body, resting it on her middle.

"And you are mine, Tony. You are the love of my life."

Later, after two more rounds of extremely satisfying sex, they fell asleep listening to the sound of each other breathing.


	12. One Month Later

A lot happened in the month following Rubyjane's arrival and Onyx Clarkson's death.

Rubyjane was crestfallen to learn of Onyx's death because he had been her father and the last person biologically related to her, but mostly because she was convinced that she was going to be alone. Once Abby convinced her that she still wanted her and loved her enough to want to be her mother for good and adopt her, the little girl was as right as rain afterwards. To Abby's great surprise, Rubyjane was very happy to learn about the baby and started to dote on Abby's belly whenever she could; after the kidnapping, Abby had been expecting Rubyjane to be angry and clingy, but on the contrary, she was quite happy. When Abby thought about it later, she realized that Rubyjane was, reinventing herself. She wasn't going to stand in the way of that.

Abby and McGee also got together in an official capacity, and once they finally got over themselves, they felt like this was the way that things were meant to be: they were together, and genuinely in love. McGee also agreed to help Abby formally adopt Rubyjane and the baby, although it didn't take much persuasion because he loved them as much as Abby did. He also loved genuinely loved being with her, and she felt the same way about him. Nobody brought up marriage, but it wouldn't be unwelcome. For the time being, they were companions, and they were happy.

Another new pair of companions in the NCIS' Major Critical Response Team was Tony and Ziva. After their night together, they decided to become a couple, although they were keeping things exclusively on the down-low. Ziva was very happy with Tony and very in love with him.

She'd even known for a few days that she was pregnant, but she just hadn't had a chance to tell him yet because things had been a little fast-paced at NCIS HQ.

* * *

 _A young couple from a nearby base had been killed in a robbery, and their children taken by the robbers. The case ended as well as could be expected and had even been solved in record time, but even still, when it was over, everybody took to distracting themselves with holiday plans because they were fast approaching Christmas Day._

 _Ziva looked around the empty bullpen at all of the Christmas decorations. They were everywhere she looked: cards and snow globes on desks, banners that bore 'Happy Holidays' on the cubicles. Special Agent Bello, whose desk was on the other side of the bullpen even had a banner that said 'Happy Kwanzaa' on his own cubicle. There was also a Christmas tree near the big frosted picture window overlooking the river. She, Gibbs, and the director had decorated the tree together one night, like a family, after everyone else had gone home. Being with the two of them reminded her of life with her own parents, back when things had still been good and she had been drawn into her father's world._

 _Ziva was indifferent about Christmas because she didn't grow up celebrating it, but at the office, she still partook in Christmas parties and activities because she wasn't heartless._

 _Ziva also had a battery-operated menorah on her desk, complete with candles to slide into the candle-holders, one for each night of the holiday. Even out on her adventures with Jenny, out in the jungles or desolate, war-torn cities, if they were out during December, Ziva always managed to find something to give Jenny for Christmas. In return, even if it was a small trinket, Jenny also managed to find something for Ziva during at least one night of Hanukkah._

 _And normally, she would go home to Israel to be with her father since she had always been her daddy's girl, but this year, he was going to be a keynote speaker at a conference in Sydney. The conference was mandatory for him because he had several speaking engagements there, and it also lasted the entire length of Hanukkah. Had Ziva's father's visit to Australia not been for work, she would have tagged along. Up until the year that Ziva's mother and sister both died, the Davids had vacationed there every year._

 _At any rate, Ziva was feeling distracted, so it was a good idea that she had elected to not make a trans-Atlantic flight._

 _Today, she had discovered that she was pregnant, and while she had so far been blessed with morning sickness that wasn't horrible, it could only just be classified as 'mild.' A baby was very much desired, and it filled her with joy every time she thought about the new life that was incubating in her womb. There just hadn't been any time to tell Tony yet._

 _"Anyone home?"_

 _Ziva was jarred from her thoughts when Tony sat on the edge of her desk._

 _"Hello, handsome." she greeted him._

 _"You okay?"_

 _Ziva sighed and sat back in her chair. "Tony, Brynn and Maddox's parents died needlessly tonight, and in front of them. At least I made sure they were held and knew that they were wanted and loved… but their combined age is not even five."_

 _"Ziva, Brynn and Maddox knew that you wanted them and loved them—even if it was just for awhile—and they knew it from the time you found them, all the way until you handed them off to their aunt and uncle. So Brynn is two, and Maddox just turned one, and they won't remember their parents, but you saw as well as I did how happy their aunt and uncle were to see them tonight. They're going to adopt them, love them, and raise them. Brynn and Maddox will be fine."_

 _"You are correct." she changed her tune and smiled at him. "Why are you here?"_

 _"Well, the director and Gibbs are going away for Christmas to Gibbs' home town, Abby is bringing Rubyjane and McGee to New Orleans because she wants them to meet her Louisiana family, Ducky will be spending time with his mom, and even dear little Autopsy Gremlin is going back to Michigan for the holidays."_

 _"What of_ _your_ _plans, Tony?"_

 _"Ten whole days in Honolulu, Hawaii—I made the plans awhile ago. Do_ _you_ _have plans?"_

 _"Normally, I would go visit my father in Tel Aviv and we would spend Hanukkah together."_

 _"But…?"_

 _"He is to be in Sydney for the entire length of Hanukkah, and the trip is strictly for work. Otherwise, I would have gone. There is no point in being in the same place as my father if his mind is other places. I learned that the hard way as a child."_

 _Feeling a pang of sympathy, Tony said, "Have you ever been alone during the holidays before?"_

 _"No."_

 _"Would you like to come to Hawaii with me? All expenses paid?"_

 _Ziva sat back up and smiled again, interested. "Really?"_

 _"Really." he confirmed. "What do you say?"_

 _"I say yes."_

* * *

"Here we are, babe." Tony slid his card key into the key slot and opened it for her. "We have the private ground corner suite, overlooking Hibiscus Bay, and it's all ours for the next ten days. What do you think?"

The room was decorated in a very beautiful Hawaiian theme, all the way down to the furniture, and it was neither too tacky, nor too over-the-top fancy, either. Ziva was very pleased, especially because she'd never been to Hawaii before. Even the weather outside was very beautiful, as shown by the warm sunlight, the sound of the waves coming up on the beach outside, and the warm breeze blowing in through the open window.

"I really like it, Tony." she told him as she sat down on the bed. "I really do."

By this point, the bellhop who had pushed their luggage trolley had unloaded everything and made a quiet exit after being given a generous tip from Tony, shutting the door behind him. After setting his carry-on luggage aside, he saw Ziva on the bed, leaning back on her hands and breathing heavily; the baby had been making her stomach feel topsy-turvy during the plane ride, but ever since they'd landed and made it from the airport to the hotel, she'd felt as right as rain again. At the moment, she just wanted Tony's attention for part of a plan that she'd concocted.

Not suspecting anything, Tony sat beside his girlfriend and gave her a backrub. "Are you alright? I know you slept on the plane, but do you want to sleep a little bit longer?"

"It has passed." Ziva sat up and kissed Tony on the cheek. "I am fine, my love."

She patted his hand.

"Go on and go to the bathroom and change, or whatever. I am fine."

"Are you sure?"

Ziva gave him a gentle nudge with her shoulder. "Positive."

Tony gave her a peck on the cheek and hurried off to the bathroom—he really had to go.

Chuckling, Ziva changed out of her traveling clothes to reveal a bright orange bikini top and a matching bottom. As part of her plan, she'd changed into her bathing suit and put her traveling clothes over it before they'd left for the airport.

Acting quickly, Ziva extracted a tiny pair of green converse shoes from a side pocket in her carry-on bag and laid back, propped up against the pillows. She set the shoes on her middle, which, now that it was bared, had a visible curve it. It had a slight curve, but that curve was definitely a baby curve, and she was proud of it.

"Come, come, my tiny love." Ziva spoke softly as she caressed the sides of her middle gently. "Let us see how long it takes for abba to put the pieces together about you."

Ziva didn't have long to wait.

Tony emerged from the bathroom and cast his bag aside. He was barefoot, but dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and khaki shorts. He even had a pair of Aviator sunglasses tucked into the front of his hair. Had Ziva not known how much the man loved Hawaii (or seen his ridiculously extensive collection of Hawaiian shirts), she would have laughed, but Tony looked so happy that Ziva felt her heart filling with joy.

"Were you wearing that under your clothes this whole time?" Tony asked.

"Yes. What do you think? Orange is a color I do not often wear."

Tony sat next to her and planted a trail of kisses from her lips, down her throat, and across her collarbone before he sat back up and raked his eyes appreciatively over her beautiful body.

"I think it's a hot color on you, but I don't think that those shoes are for you or me."

"You are correct—they are for the addition who is due to join us in late summer."

It took a moment for Ziva's words to sink in, but when he got it, he lit up. "You're pregnant, Z? We did it?"

"Uh-huh." she put the shoes on her bedside table and sat up. "What do you think?"

"I think that this is the best news that you've ever given me," Tony gave her a rather smoldering kiss, but on the lips this time. "Although I also think that we might have to delay going outside to explore for just a little while. Any problems with that?"

Now, Tony was gently kissing Ziva all over the top half of her body. He was taking his time, but it was very clear what he was initiating.

Ziva's reply was punctuated by her own soft sighs and moans induced by her lover's featherlight touches.

"I have zero objections, my love." she told him.

And so they celebrated the beginnings of their new family.


	13. Louisiana

Mostly as a treat for Rubyjane because she'd never been out of Quantico before, when Christmas vacation rolled around, Abby took her new family down to New Orleans by train. They were going to be spending the holidays with the rest of the Scuitos, and they were each looking forward to it very much.

"Remind me again who we're meeting." McGee said as he, Abby, and Rubyjane disembarked the train, luggage in tow.

"My brother, Luca!" chirped Abby.

"And he knows you're pregnant, right?"

"Oh, yes." Abby gave her rounded middle a pat, smiling when, under the layers of clothing and jackets to keep warm against the Louisiana cold, she felt the baby turn over. "I told Luca the story in a phone call, and he's told the others."

"Meaning that they all also know about me and RJ?"

"Yes, and I _promise_ you, Tim, they're all going to love you _both._ Plus, RJ is the first Sciuto grandchild, so my parents are especially going to have a field day with her."

"Okay…"

Abby just laughed and looked at Rubyjane, who was in McGee's arms. "RJ, will you tell daddy to chill out?"

Giggling, Rubyjane turned to McGee and held his face in her mittened hands, telling him with an extremely straight face, "Mommy says chill."

"Oh, alright." McGee said, surrendering playfully. "If mommy says to, then I will."

Rubyjane trilled her approval and then looked around the crowded train platform. "Where's Uncle Luca?"

No sooner were the words out of her mouth than Abby spotted her little brother in the crowd.

"He's there!" she said, pointing.

In contrast to Abby's looks and features, Luca Scuito was tall with blond hair and bright blue eyes, and he even had some kind of permanent scar on his upper lip. Without changing his own skin color, Luca was Abby's complete opposite. He was also dressed in a preppy style, straight down to a bow tie and preppy-looking boots, but the way Luca carried himself, including the twinkle in his eye and his enthusiasm as he greeted his sister when she wove her way across the crowded platform to join him, told McGee that unlike most preps, Luca wasn't full of himself or any shade of pretentious. McGee would be able to roll with that.

From what McGee understood, the family that his girlfriend had grown up in was large… at least by his own standards.

Abby's adoptive parents were named Tyler and Gloria, and both of them were completely deaf, although they were both experts at signing and reading lips. The elder Scuitos were also capable of speaking verbally, and they did, although their speech sounded a little different from a person who wasn't deaf or hard of hearing.

Abby, herself, was next in the lineup, and after her, less than a year younger, was Ellie Kate. _She_ had been a complete surprise, having been born after her parents had been told that even conceiving a biological child would be impossible. Nevertheless, Ellie Kate had been welcomed into the family as equally as Abby had been. And also like Abby, Ellie Kate was born with a clean bill of health.

Born when they were five was Luca, very healthy and very happy. He was the only son, and because of that, he had been spoiled when he was younger. He'd been more of a surprise than Ellie Kate, but welcomed just as she and Abby had been.

Rounding out the Scuitos was Clementine, just twenty-five now. She'd been born with hearing problems, though not as drastic as what her parents had to deal with. So as to at least point her in the direction of a good life, she'd been wearing hearing aids since she was two months old and was put into speech therapy as soon as she had the coordination to start signing. She was almost a chameleon these days with how well she was able to fit in.

McGee had only one sibling, a sister, and he already had no idea what to expect when Abby, Ellie Kate, Luca, and Clementine were going to be in one room. This was going to be a vacation to remember.

"Tim!"

Abby's voice jarred him from his thoughts. She was back, and Luca was at her side.

"Hey, Abby." he greeted her. "Is this Luca?"

"Yep!" Abby turned from him to her brother. "Luca, this is Tim, who I told you about. He's my best friend, and the love of my life."

Beaming, Luca shook hands with McGee, speaking all the while with what was a very distinct Louisiana accent. "I'm so happy to finally meet you! Abby's told me lots of stories!"

McGee laughed nervously. "All good ones, I hope."

"Of course. Let me just be the first to say—welcome to the family, brother."

McGee relaxed immediately. "Thanks!"

Luca turned his attention to Rubyjane, who had been watching the conversation from McGee's arms, very quiet. When she locked eyes with Luca, she turned to putty at the kind smile he gave her.

"And you're Rubyjane, right?"

She giggled and gave a nod. "Yes, Uncle Luca!"

"But you like it more when people call you RJ?"

"Yep!" she repeated, immediately liking him.

Using a mixture of speech and sign language, Luca asked, "May I call you RJ?"

Her mouth dropped open in surprise, but she leaned towards her new uncle, wanting him to hold her. Surprised, but happy, Luca took her from McGee, laughing when Rubyjane attached herself to him like a baby koala and hugged him.

Luca gladly returned the hug and then look over at his niece's parents, who were watching the scene fondly.

"I think your kid imprinted on me."

"She's as touchy-feely as Abby is," McGee said. "But she's only this touchy-feely with people she really loves."

"That's totally true." Abby confirmed. "I know she's going to adore mom, dad, and EK, but I think she and Clem will be as thick as thieves."

"Speaking of EK and Clem," Luca said thoughtfully. "They would have come, but they stayed behind because they were putting the finishing touches on RJ's welcome-to-the-family presents."

"Presents?" Rubyjane had heard the word and perked up, even pointing to herself. "Are they mine?"

Luca laughed again and gave his niece a hug. "Uh-huh! Do you want to go to the house and find them?"

Rubyjane clapped her hands together, nodding. "Let's go!"

* * *

Abby's childhood home was on a cul-de-sac off a quiet lane called Ponchatrain, and the name of nook was called Jefferson Place. The Scuito house was the only one on the cul-de-sac, and except for the junkyard on the other side of the field next to their house, there was nothing else there. It had been that way since before Abby had been adopted.

The house itself was huge and four stories tall, and had a carriage house garage and even a screened wraparound porch on which, when she was younger, Abby had spent many days, drinking lemonade and just shooting the breeze with Ellie Kate, Luca, and Clementine. One thing that McGee and Rubyjane were immediately amused by was that Number 18 Jefferson Place was painted in bright rainbow colors.

When they'd walked through the garden and onto the porch, Luca stopped McGee just before they went inside.

"Tim, are you allergic to dogs, or anything?"

"No, and I like dogs a lot." McGee replied. "Why?"

"Clementine has a service dog for an anxiety disorder. She's called Scout."

"Alright, by why are you talking in a tone of warning?"

Abby chortled and filled in the blanks because Luca was being too slow. "Scout is a Welsh Corgi, and Luca just doesn't want you to accidentally trip over her. Clementine has hearing aids like RJ does, and she's more confident now than before she got Scout…"

"But…?"

"Our parents have a service dogs, too—a pair of Labradors, called Maggie and Raja. They're signal dogs."

"Because your parents are hearing impaired?"

"Bingo."

Abby turned to McGee, brushing a speck of imaginary dust off his jacket.

"There's a surprise for you inside." she said.

"Really? What is it?"

Abby rolled her eyes. "If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, would it?"

Bored, Rubyjane slid out of McGee's arms and walked over to Luca, holding her arms up to him. Luca obliged and picked her up.

"What are you thinking?" he asked.

Rubyjane made the sign for cold and burrowed closer to her uncle, who hugged her closer.

"Alright, we'll go inside and get you warmed up."

Luca turned to Abby and McGee.

"Hey, weirdos—your kid just told me that she's cold, so I'm going to take her inside now. Feel free to stay out here and keep squabbling about dumb stuff, if you want."

Abby and McGee caught his drift and followed him and Rubyjane inside the house.

After putting their things away in what McGee deduced to be a mudroom, they had barely set foot in the front hall when they were greeted by two women: the older one, tall and elegant, even looking like a bohemian hippie, was Ellie Kate. Beside her, dressed in a red and green dress that looked straight out of the 1950s, was Clementine.

She looked like a younger version of Ellie Kate, but instead of a hippie, she was an artist. This was evidenced by a smock apron she had tied around her waist; it even had an assortment of pens, markers, pencils, and eraser sticks that were sticking out of the front pocket. Another clue that she was the artsy type was that instead of blond hair like Ellie Kate and Luca, Clementine had long hair that she'd dyed emerald green. Beside her sat Scout the Welsh Corgi, loyal and patient. Even she was dressed up, wearing a kerchief with a paintbrush pattern over her collar.

Both Ellie Kate and Clementine greeted their oldest sibling with love and joy, giving her lots of hugs and things like that, and cooing over her baby belly, which, at eighteen, almost nineteen weeks, was cute and petite.

"EK, Clem," Abby said to her sisters. "I want you to meet my new family—this is my boyfriend, Tim McGee, and our adopted daughter, Rubyjane."

"Why, Abby-kins," Ellie Kate said slyly as she looked from her older sister to her sister's beau. "You didn't tell us that your man is _Thom E. Gemcity."_

Ellie Kate looked at Clementine.

"Did she tell _you?"_

Clementine smirked and shook her head. "Nope!"

McGee groaned. "Are you guys going to be weird about this?"

The smirk on Clementine's face grew as her voice became coy. "Maybe…"

"Maybe not." Ellie Kate finished in a matching tone.

Deciding to spare McGee from further teasing, Abby steered Rubyjane our from behind her, where she'd been hiding. She was front and center now.

"Bumblebee, these are your aunties Ellie Kate and Clementine—they're my sisters." As Abby spoke, she indicated each sister in turn. "They're both very nice, and guess what? Auntie Clementine is different, just like you!"

Immediately awed, Rubyjane approached Clementine and spoke to her using speech and sign language.

"You use ASL?"

"Mhm, and I have hearing aids, just like you." Clementine pointed hers out before motioning towards her four-legged companion. "RJ, this is my dog, Scout, and she's my buddy. Her job is to cheer me up."

"For why?"

"I get sad sometimes, and Scout always knows just what to do." Clementine smiled at her. "She knows a lot of tricks, and we can play with her later, but for now, I need you to do something for me."

"Okay!"

"I need you to stay over there with Auntie Ellie Kate and Uncle Luca, just to the side, alright? I have to go get a surprise ready!"

Rubyjane bobbed her head in understanding, immediately sidestepping to the right and standing in between her aunt and uncle.

Grinning, Clementine left the room, Scout hot on her heels. They were only gone for a few moments when they returned with a new person, whose presence threw McGee for a loop.

 _"Sarah?!"_


	14. The Sciutos

McGee felt like his brain was melting.

"Sarah, what are you doing here?" he asked as they hugged. "Last time I saw you, it was at your graduation!"

Playfully, Sarah ruffled her brother's hair. "Time marches on when you're not paying attention—I'm a freelance photojournalist now, remember?"

"Oh, yeah." McGee laughed nervously, still confused. "How did you find the Sciutos?"

"It's kind of a long story, but the short of it is that I was doing a story on people with service animals, and I was introduced to Clementine and her parents, so I could interview them for the piece. They invited me to stay for the holidays, and ta-da: here I am."

McGee turned to Abby. "How long have you known?"

"Just a week. Are you surprised, Tim?"

"Yes, but it's a good surprise." he kissed Abby's temple. "Thank you."

Meanwhile, Sarah's eyes flickered between Abby's baby bump and then to Rubyjane, who was now with Clementine and tightly clutching to the hem of her skirt.

"So I'm an auntie, too?"

Abby nodded and tapped her middle with one finger. "I'm due in early April, but we still don't know if it's a boy or a girl yet because the baby keeps turning over when the doctor goes to check."

"My birthday is in early April." Sarah winked before inclining her head in Rubyjane's direction. "And this is our sweet Rubyjane?"

Clementine gave a nod, stroking the top of her new niece's dark locks. "Yep, and she's a sweetheart, but she seems to be shy, all of a sudden."

Sarah approached her and spoke gently. "Hi, baby girl. I'm your Auntie Sarah, and I'm so happy that you're finally here!"

Rubyjane blew her a kiss and then looked up at Clementine. "Is it time for food?"

"Just about, my friend." Clementine replied as there was a round of soft laughter from the others. "You like bumblebees, right?"

"Yes!" Rubyjane said with an enthusiastic gasp.

"Well, I found this little guy today, and he needs a friend!"

From a nearby shelf, Clementine plucked a brown Build-A-Bear that she'd made at the mall earlier that day and handed it to Rubyjane. The toy was dressed in a black and yellow striped sweatshirt that had shimmery gauze wings protruding from the back. The sweater also featured a hood that had antennae on the top, making the toy even more like a bumblebee, and even more like a toy that Rubyjane would find appealing.

"Thank you!" Rubyjane took her bear and hugged it before taking one of Clementine's hands in her own and looking up at her. "I love it!"

"Oh, I'm so glad!" Clementine beamed at her. "Do you want to go say hello to my mommy and daddy? They're your mommy's, Auntie Ellie Kate's, and Uncle Luca's parents, too! They even have dogs, like how I have Scout!"

Rubyjane looked around. "Where are they?"

Clementine pointed to a hallway to the right. "This way, baby. Come on."

Clementine and Rubyjane led the way down the hallway, with Scout the dog walking faithfully beside her mistress. Ellie Kate and Luca fell into place behind them, and Abby after them. Bringing up the rear were the McGees, with Tim speaking first.

"Sarah, seriously—what's happening? Why are you _really_ in Louisiana?"

Sarah rolled her eyes and pulled her brother aside. "Look—I know a lot of things have changed since the last time I was at The Navy Yard, what with me graduating college early and then getting my choice job almost immediately, but I promise that I will fill you in soon enough."

"Really?"

"Really."

"The Sciutos know what's up with you, though?"

"They do, actually, and I'm sure that Abby will be told if she doesn't figure it out first."

"How long have you been in Louisiana?"

Again, Sarah rolled her eyes. "I was in Baton Rogue from late summer until the beginning of this month when I was directed to Clementine and her mom and her dad. Speaking of whom, come on!"

The McGees headed into the kitchen to find the elder Scuitos and their pets at one end of the room, with everyone else at the other end.

Tyler Sciuto was tall and heavyset, two traits that McGee noticed right away because as far as he knew, Tyler was middle-aged. He was also fair-skinned with kind hazel eyes, a warm and charming smile, and a head of blond hair that was greying slightly around the edges that nevertheless made his clothes pop. Beside him sat Raja, a black Labrador puppy, and he was wagging his tail animatedly, but was otherwise composed.

On Tyler's other side was his wife, Gloria. She was tall and fair-skinned like her husband, and she had a lean, fit frame, prompting McGee to remember Abby once mentioning that her mother had been a professional dancer in her youth and that she taught dance at the local school for the deaf. McGee even realized that the pattern on Gloria's purple dress were rows and rows upon of pink ballet slippers. Unlike Tyler, however, Gloria had green eyes and was a redhead, setting her apart from the rest of the family. At her side was Maggie, her golden Labrador, happy as a clam, but just as composed as Raja.

Gloria approached McGee first, and she spoke, sounding nervous, but only because she wasn't used to speaking verbally to anyone but her dog.

"Hello, Tim. Welcome to our home and our family." she greeted him. "Tyler and I do speak and lip read, but we just sound a little different and slower."

Pleased with himself that he could remember all that Abby and Ziva had taught him about signing, McGee signed as he answered her.

"That's okay. I'm happy to meet you, too."

Immediately, Gloria hugged him, and McGee understood where where Abby had gotten her fondness for hugging from. He reciprocated the hug, and when they pulled apart, Gloria signed something to him, but it was so fast that he didn't see what she said.

Ellie Kate stepped in, interpreting. "Mom says to say hello to dad."

McGee greeted Tyler in the same way she'd greeted Gloria. "I'm really happy to meet you, too, Mister Sciuto."

Tyler bobbed his head as he watched McGee's hands and then he said, "Please call me Tyler, and call Gloria by her name."

"I'll take that under advisement, and thank you for looking after Sarah."

"It has been our pleasure, and the whole family is here now."

Tyler turned to Abby and signed a question to her.

Abby understood what he wanted, and she moved Rubyjane out from behind her, where she'd been hiding, and gave her a small nudge forward.

"RJ, these are mommy's parents, Papa Tyler and Nana Gloria. They don't hear or have hearing aids, but they lip read and sign."

"What about the dogs?"

"My mommy's dog is called Maggie, and my daddy's is called Raja. They hear for them."

"Wow…"

"And you know," Abby continued. "I bet they would love to play with you, and if you asked, I bet they could teach you more about ASL."

Deeply impressed, Rubyjane ventured forward forward and began signing to hew knew grandparents, who were now on their knees, wanting to be level with her. After a few moments of hugs and a signed conversation, the toddler turned back to her parents, looking dazed.

"Nana and papa said it's present time, then food. We can go?"

McGee nodded. "Of course we can. Why don't you ask them where everything is?"

Rubyjane did and she found herself walking in between her grandparents, holding their hands as they walked her to the room where all of her welcome-to-the-family presents were.

Luca, Ellie Kate, Clementine, and Sarah followed behind, this time leaving McGee and Abby to bring up the rear.

"What do you think?" Abby asked him.

"I love it here, and also that they accepted Sarah and Rubyjane into the fold without thinking twice."

"Welcoming new people into the family or helping people who are down on their luck is something that my parents have been doing for as long as I can remember—I think they've been doing it since they were kids."

"When you say 'helping people who are down on their luck,' do you know anything about why Sarah is here, besides what she said about doing a piece about your parents and Clementine?"

Abby shook her head. "No, but I have a feeling that she's definitely sitting on something that the others know and you and I don't. If she comes back to our neck of the woods, we should help her, however we can."

"Oh, there's no question there." McGee agreed. "My parents are local to D.C., but they're so old-fashioned that whatever it is that Sarah's keeping quiet, they'd just give her grief."

"And I'm sure that's the complete opposite of what she needs. Look at her now."

By this point, Abby had led McGee to a den-like room where the whole family was gathered. In the middle of the room was a pile of presents wrapped in bumblebee wrapping paper. Parked in front of everything was Rubyjane, with her new teddy bear in her lap. After a moment, she'd invited Sarah to sit with her. In a friendly mood, Sarah obliged her niece and joined her, laughing when Rubyjane promptly parked herself in her lap, narrating the process of opening everything. Sarah even helped Rubyjane with some of the more difficult wrapping jobs, laughing herself when Rubyjane got completely distracted as she tried to get some sticky tape off her fingers.

In a word, Sarah looked completely peaceful.

Feeling their eyes on her, Sarah turned and called out, "Tim, Abby! Come join us!"

And they did.


	15. Night

Rubyjane received a lot of welcome-to-the family presents, and so as not to leave out the other newcomers, there were presents for Sarah and McGee, too.

Dinner was after that, and though there was no real seating cart at the dining table, Abby noticed that her beau ended up sitting between Gloria and Luca, and that Tyler was on Gloria's other side. Happy to have so many new people wanting to shower with attention and affection, Rubyjane was opposite her mother on a bench, sitting between Sarah and Clementine, who were happily helping her with her food. Even Ellie Kate was close enough to them to pass them anything that Rubyjane asked for. As Abby looked around at everyone, she saw eight other people who loved each other and cared about each other and enjoyed being together—this was her family, and she loved them.

The rest of the evening passed by in what Abby felt like was a blur, and after everyone started making plans about Christmas tree shopping and other Christmas-related activities for the next day, people started calling it a night until, eventually, everyone had gone to bed.

A few hours later, closer to midnight, Abby woke, needing to go to the bathroom.

After getting out of bed and using the bathroom out in the hallway, the baby was wide awake and squirming in such a frenzied manner that Abby knew it was going to be awhile before she would be falling back to sleep, so she trekked from her attic bedroom on the top floor where McGee and Rubyjane were both still sound asleep to the kitchen, in search of something to eat.

Her plans for food were waylaid somewhat when she arrived to the kitchen to find the lights on and that Sarah and Clementine were at the table, reading something on Sarah's laptop. Scout was on the floor, next to Sarah's chair, and when she saw Abby, she made a happy noise. This caused Sarah and Clementine to look up.

"What's going on?" Abby asked, as she gave Scout a rub in between her ears before joining the others at the table.

Sarah went at it like a freight train. "We're looking at places in D.C. to move to."

"But don't you already live there?"

"Going home would mean living with my parents again."

She blew a raspberry, so Abby turned to Clementine.

"That was the most un-McGeeish thing I've ever seen. What's the matter with her?"

"Sarah's looking for a place in D.C. or Quantico because she's pregnant, and she wants to stay in one place because she already made the choice to keep the baby and raise it. I'm going with her because I'm really good at photography, and she's taken me on as an assistant. I also offered to help with the baby. The only problem is that everything is too expensive and/or not pet-friendly."

Abby digested all of this, and for Sarah's sake—both because she considered her a friend and because she was probably going to be her sister-in-law in the next year or two—she was very calm as she spoke to her.

"How old are you now?"

"Twenty."

"Is the father of your baby in the picture?"

"No. He's from the governor's mansion in Baton Rogue, and I hate to sound cliché, but when I told him, he paid me to go away and not ask for anything. That's what happened, and then I wound up in New Orleans not long after."

"Do my parents know?"

Sarah nodded. "Yes, and they're so easy to talk to, and very gracious. They didn't think twice and offered to let me stay here."

"That sounds like them. I have to ask, though—did you and this man from the governor's mansion have an affair?"

"Absolutely not, but he has no interest in being a father and I don't want to be in the political spotlight, even by association. It is what it is."

 _"I_ don't know who the father is, except that it isn't the governor, but that's okay." Clementine said. "I don't judge, and neither do mom, dad, EK, or Luca."

"I don't, and Tim won't." Abby said thoughtfully. "What about your parents?"

"They're already mad that I became a photojournalist, and not something Navy, government, or philanthropic. Their only daughter getting pregnant out of wedlock during a one-night stand would just make them feel shame. They'd also jump to a very wrong conclusion if I brought Clementine home before I had all my ducks in a row. I want to protect her, especially since she's five years older than me."

Abby raised an eyebrow. "You two are already close, huh?"

"We're best friends." they said in unison.

"And as thick as thieves, I see."

"We're in a bind, though, because as much as we love it here," Sarah spoke dejectedly. "I'm still based out of a newspaper agency in D.C., and they gave us until the fifteenth to be back. Realistically, even splitting things down the middle with rent, we won't be able to properly afford what we want until I turn twenty-two. We just need a place until then."

"Why? What happens?"

"On top of a hefty trust fund my parents created for me before I was born, I'll be coming into a cool six million that was left to me by my Aunt Edith. She passed away when I was almost one and left me her life savings; it's been collecting interest ever since. She was the rich aunt."

"Wow." Abby said, feeling slightly dazed. "I never knew that."

Sarah blushed slightly. "Can you help us?"

She nodded. "Of course. I'll run things by Tim later, but I already know he'd be agreeing with me; you all can come live with us. Scout, too."

Sarah and Clementine stared—this was the last thing they'd been expecting.

"Wait, really?" Sarah said quickly. "I've been to Tim's place, and it's tiny. It's also not quite friendly for kids or pets."

Abby chuckled. "As of a month ago, both of RJ's biological parents are officially out of the picture—both dead—and Tim and I adopted her as soon as we could. Because of that, and because we have a baby on the way, too, we bought a house."

"And it has enough room for all of us?" Clementine pressed.

"Oh, yes, and there's a yard for you to run around with Scout. You can come join us whenever you're all packed up here."

The next thing Abby knew, Sarah and Clementine were both hugging her and thanking her.

It didn't last long, though, because all of a sudden, Abby let out a gasp and held her hands to her middle as she took a small step back.

"What?" Clementine asked.

Sarah drew closer. "Abby?"

She took their hands and held them to the spot where she was feeling the odd sensation. Immediately, her companions let out their own gasps and looked at her in surprise.

"Abby," Clementine said, joy all over her face. "I think those are _baby kicks."_

Abby nodded and rubbed her bump with both hands before she tore her eyes away from it and looked to her sister.

"Uh-huh. This is just the first time I've ever felt them… Sarah?"

Her hand was still on Abby's middle, tracking the baby's movements; she was completely spellbound and it took her breath away. When Abby said her name, she used her hands to frame her middle. The clothes she was wearing were baggy, although once her bump was defined, it was clear that she was fast approaching the point where she'd have a job of hiding it.

"That's going to be me in a month or so. I've been covering things up because a lot of people have been judging me about traveling alone and pregnant through the south. Your parents have been helping me slow down and relax—like rehabilitation."

Abby gave her friend a quick hug. "You're going to be fine, Sarah."

The young woman sighed and then her bottom lip trembled as she said, "My parents still don't know, and I'm going to see them in January, anyway. You and Clementine probably will, too, come to that."

"Why?"

"My mom is throwing a charity gala on the twentieth, which is her birthday, and she expects us to go. Tim does, every year, but he just doesn't say anything because he doesn't want to be made fun of. Clementine is my companion, for lack of a better word, and you're Tim's girlfriend." elaborated Sarah. "These galas are huge and pumped up, so plus ones are expected. Mom is also well-known philanthropist on this side of the country—it's been her life since she was sixteen, and she's never known anything else."

"But philanthropy isn't that bad."

"My mom is from old family money in Manhattan, and she grew up glitzy and snobby. She moved to D.C. when she married my dad, but brought the high life with her. That includes throwing ridiculously fancy fundraising galas at an event where she's the center of attention, anyway."

Abby led Sarah back to her chair and sat her down in it before looking over at Clementine, deciding to take things in another direction.

"Do we have all of the ingredients for your sandwiches?"

Clementine lit up, nodded, and opened the refrigerator, looking for what she needed.

Sarah became politely puzzled. "What's happening?"

"Clem can cook, and she makes these really awesome grilled ham and cheese sandwiches. EK and I taught her how to make them when we were babysitting her one weekend while my parents took Luca to a 4H event in Shreveport."

"He did 4H? Somehow, that doesn't surprise me."

"Yeah, well, Clem always did some kind of cooking program, and I pursued anything about science when I wasn't across the field playing in the junkyard."

"Wait, what about Ellie Kate?"

Over at the counter, as Clementine found the griddle and plugged it in, she let out an amused titter, but said nothing.

"What was that about?" Sarah wanted to know.

Smirking, Abby said, "EK went to clown school."

"What?! But she's so _cool_ now!"

"Keep your voice down—her bedroom is _right_ above us!"

Finally, Clementine added in her bit. "She really did, but that's still not as weird as Crash Stevens from Sapphire End."

"Good point." Abby agreed. "You'd think that someone nicknamed Crash wouldn't have started something like taxidermy for fun as a kid, but hey—to each their own, right?"

Sarah gaped at her friends in astonishment. _"Taxidermy?_ Really?"

"Mhm. Do you want to know about that, or why it's my fault he went from Jebediah to Crash?"

"Both…?"

Pleased that Sarah was no longer gloomy, Abby grinned a sly, devilish grin.

"It goes like this…"


	16. Afternoon

"Wait, so the baby kicked while you were having having a talk about the near future with Clementine and Sarah?"

"Yep! Funny timing, huh?"

It was the next afternoon, the twenty-third of December. Abby, McGee, and Rubyjane had already settled in very well at the Sciuto house, and now they were helping prepare for the arrival of the uncles, aunts, and cousins who lived in town that would be descending on the house later to meet the new family members. After a cleaning spree that took most of the morning, some people were going off to do a different activity, and Abby used this 'shift change,' as it were to get McGee by himself so she could tell him about the nighttime chat he'd had with Clementine and Sarah about inviting them to come stay with them when they moved to Washington, D.C. for work. When she explained the situation to him, he was very relieved that she had taken the initiative, otherwise he would have gotten up right then and there to do it himself.

Abby rounded out the chat by telling McGee about how she'd felt the baby's first kicks.

"I can't believe I was asleep, though!" McGee pouted. "I was looking forward to that!"

Abby laughed. "Oh, don't be such a sissy and feel this!"

Abby gave her baby bump a few gentle tickles and rubs.

"Come on, baby." she cooed to her gestating child. "Will you stretch out and kick your little legs for daddy and me? Please? Aww… There's a good baby. Thank you."

Amused by the sound of Abby's voice, the baby turned over and started kicking at her, even pushing against her palms.

"Give me your hand, Tim."

He did, and Abby held it flat to the spot, looking at her lover, her eyes alight with joy.

"Neat, huh?" Abby asked him, smiling more when he put his other hand on the bump.

"That this is _incredible,_ Abby." he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "I love you."

She returned the kiss. "I love you, too."

Suddenly, they heard, "What are you doing?"

Rubyjane was in the doorway of the den, watching her parents curiously.

"RJ, come quick!" Abby urged. "The baby is kicking!"

Delighted, Rubyjane dashed over and held out her hands.

"Where, mommy?"

"Right… here!" Abby put Rubyjane's hands on her middles and pressed them down gently, inducing even more kicks. "Feel that?"

Rubyjane gasped and looked to Abby in wonder. "This feels funny!"

"You have no idea, but what do you think?"

Rubyjane gave Abby's bump a delicate kiss, declaring, "I love my sister!"

Abby fought back a laugh. "The baby could be a _boy,_ RJ. You could be getting a _brother."_

The little girl just giggled and then turned to McGee. "Daddy?"

"What's up, kid?"

"Auntie Ellie Kate says it's time for shoes."

Rubyjane had signed her words as she'd spoken, and to her parents' amusement, she'd even spoken with a southern twang that she hadn't noticed, or was else just ignoring.

McGee ruffled his daughter's hair. "I'll be there in a minute. You hurry along, okay?"

Rubyjane bobbed her head in understanding and left, calling out for Ellie Kate to fix her hair.

McGee pulled Abby to her feet and steadied her when she almost lost her balance and teetered backwards because of the baby weight.

"Christmas tree shopping with RJ, your dad, Luca, and Ellie Kate should be fun." he sighed. "Plus, RJ will probably be distracted by everything."

Abby giggled. "She's been my little magpie baby for as long as I've known her."

"Magpies like things that are bright and shiny."

"I.E., Christmas lights on Christmas trees. And it's almost her birthday, so she's going to be even _more_ distracted then."

McGee groaned. "I'm toast."

Abby laughed again and led him to the front of the house where Tyler and Luca were getting ready to leave, while by the front door, Raja sat obedianetely, his guidedog vest on and his leash in his mouth. Off to the side, Ellie Kate was quickly redoing Rubyjane's pigtails for her, while Rubyjane was engaged in a conversation with Gloria, who was teaching her a few new signs. Rubyjane was copying them and echoing them like a pro. Abby didn't see Sarah, Clementine, or Scout, but she was sure they were nearby.

"We've been here a day," said McGee. "And she signs and sounds like she's been here a year. Do you think that she'll keep the accent she's developed?"

"Not with Clementine moving in—her accent is heavier than EK's and Luca's. I actually used to sound just like them."

McGee looked at her interestedly. "Really? When did you lose _your_ accent?"

"Just before I met Gibbs."

"Less than ten years ago, huh?"

Abby nodded. "Less than ten, but still more than five."

"How have I never heard it before?"

"Because." she said simply.

Knowing better than to bait Abby into a silly argument, McGee just kissed her and went to check on Rubyjane.

Once Abby saw everyone off, she headed to the kitchen.

Her family always baked up a storm in the days leading to Christmas, and whenever Abby visited her family over the holidays, she never had the willpower to turn down a baking session. Today was no exception, what with all of the visitors they were expecting.

In the kitchen, she found her mother with Clementine and Sarah, going over some recipes. Maggie and Scout watched contently from a corner, not wanting to get their tails and paws trodden on. What Abby noticed immediately was that her mother, Clementine, and Sarah were laughing, like someone had just told an amusing joke.

"Dare I ask what you guys are laughing at?" Abby said.

Sarah snickered. "Gloria's just told us about how you broke your arm when you were eight, playing in the junkyard across the field."

"That was an eventful day, and I've broken limbs in dumber ways."

"Like how?"

Gloria signed something to Clementine, who immediately laughed while Abby groaned.

Sarah held her hands in time out. "Okay, so I've been here for awhile I've been picking Sign Language up, but all I got from what Gloria signed was _chickens_ and _Mardi Gras?_ "

"That's exactly what my mom said." Clementine confirmed.

"What the hell happened?"

Abby took the reigns as she sat on a stool at the kitchen island that they were all gathered around. "Mardi Gras 2000—we'd just gotten to my Uncle Horace's house after watching the big parade, and… well, have you met Uncle Horace?"

"Yes, and I've been to his house. Your cousins are strange, by the way: as means of 'initiation,' they tricked me into holding old Ebenezer Squeezer, although that was _before_ mentioning that Ebenezer is a _python."_

"I miss Ebenezer." Abby said in a cooing tone of reminiscence. "My Uncle Teddy, though, he has a platoon of budgies named Bravo, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Tango, and Whiskey, and he taught them to play cards."

 _"What?!"_

"Yep! He trained them to pick up cards and chips for him from the pile on poker night, and he lets them walk around on the poker table so they can participate."

Again, Sarah cried, _"What?!"_

"It gets better: those birds are like a family, and like a family, they argue about stupid things and have full conversations. Also, every time they do something right during poker, they get a sip of beer."

Sarah stared. "How do animals that small handle something meant for human consumption?"

"Not well—they get bombed and talk to themselves until they walk it off. If I'm there, Echo and Whiskey like to hit on me a lot."

By now, Sarah was howling with laughter. Her life had been very topsy-turvy lately, from finding out that she was going to be a mother and then choosing not to be involved with her child's father, all the way to meeting the Sciutos and moving in with them. She'd been able to be herself and even find a different part of herself that was happier, but it had been a long time since she'd had a good, solid laugh like this one.

"Pardon me," interjected Clementine. "But wasn't this about Mardi Gras 2000 at Uncle Horace's house?"

"Right." Abby said, getting herself back on track. "I tripped over one of his five million hens and broke my ankle. For the record, I was completely sober, but I just didn't see the hen."

"You tripped over a hen and broke your ankle." Sarah echoed blankly, sobered up now; she was almost in disbelief over something so absurd.

"Unfortunately." Abby sighed.

"Your family is strange."

"Well, it's your family, too, so you better get used to it, especially since everyone is coming tonight to meet Tim and Ruby."

Sarah turned to Gloria, extremely taken aback to see that she was getting out raw meat, peas, carrots, and potatoes—things that definitely didn't go in cookies.

What's happening? Sarah signed to her elder.

"We are having a potluck." explained Gloria after she read Sarah's lips. "Potpies are first because they take longer."

"That makes more sense now." Sarah said verbally, sounding relieved. "What should I do?"

Sarah was no spoiled princess, but because the elder Sciutos had invited her into their home, they were teaching her all kinds of things, including how to cook because she needed to sharpen that particular skill set of hers.

"Clementine can prep the meat; will you please work with her to cook it?"

Sarah nodded in understanding and joined Clementine on the other side of the kitchen, by the stove.

That left Abby, Gloria, and a pile of freshly washed carrots that needed peeling. There were also two vegetable peelers, too.

"Is this how life has been around here lately?" Abby signed to her mother as they began peeling the carrots.

"Yes. I love it, but it's going to be so quiet when Clem, Sarah, EK, and Scout go."

"EK and Luca are still here."

"But they live their own lives and are quiet."

"Now _I'm_ the one that's going to have a full house—them, a dog, RJ, my baby, and Sarah's baby."

Gloria winked. "Are you ready?"

"I guess, but is it okay if I still ask for your help?"

Gloria made the sign for yes and said, "Of course it is. You are my baby girl, and you a family of your own."

Abby grinned and blew Gloria a kiss before saying, _Thanks, mom. I love you._

Gloria signed in return, _I love you, too,_ before they returned to the carrots again.

Abby couldn't wait to see what her life was going to be like when she, McGee, and Rubyjane returned to D.C., but for the time being, she was just happy to be with her mother.


	17. Interlude Again

McGee and Rubyjane were at the local 'Christmas tree farm' with Tyler, Luca, and Raja the signal dog. In reality, the place was the local high school parking lot, filled with Christmas trees organized by row, price, and size. McGee had plenty of memories with his family of picking out Christmas trees, but those were more distant than they used to be, and ever since he'd gotten his own place, he'd made do with an artificial tree.

This year was different, and he didn't even mind that there was no snow.

Meanwhile, Rubyjane could have cared less about the lack of snow because she was taking joy in every little thing, from the trees and lights, to all the different people that kept waving to her as she walked along. Ellie Kate and Luca were keeping her company, and they were answering as many of her questions that he could keep up with. Rubyjane had never had a proper Christmas before.

A few feet behind them strolled McGee and Tyler, with Raja faithfully walking beside his master. Neither man wanted to interrupt Rubyjane's bonding time with her aunt and uncle, so they stood and had a chat. As they got to know each other, McGee found that even with Tyler being deaf and having a slightly slower speech pattern, he was an excellent lip reader.

Eventually, though, Tyler brought the conversation around to a matter that McGee had been expecting: the 'What are your intentions?' talk.

"Abby has talked to Gloria and I about her life at NCIS over the years, and now that she knows you, we've never seen her so happy before. She also told us that the team is her family away from home; do you and Abby along well at work?"

"Actually, really well. I'm not a scientist like she is because I graduated from MIT and Johns Hopkins, so I'm good with computers, and I help her when she's stuck, or there's a real crunch. We've cracked open a number of cases that way."

"Impressive, Tim." Tyler said honestly. "I'm going to be honest with you about something for a minute."

"Oh?" McGee tried not to feel nervous.

"Gloria and I know that you and Abby were together for a brief spell, and that things didn't work out. Was it because of work?"

"It wasn't getting in the way, per se, but Abby is my best friend, so we broke things off before we accidentally ruined our friendship and keep it as professional as we can at the office."

"That was a good idea, breaking it off, but still keeping your friendship. Speaking of that, I'm also pleased that Abby is your best friend."

"So am I. I wouldn't be who I am without Abby."

Taking that in stride, Tyler asked something else that he'd been dying to know. "Had she not taken up with Onyx, met Ruby, or gotten pregnant, would would you still be with her?"

"In a heartbeat—Abby is the love of my life. I'd do anything for her."

"Good thing you say that because we know about her being kidnapped, and also about RJ being left by Onyx."

McGee arched an eyebrow. "You do?"

"Abby called Luca when she was in the hospital, and then he told us. You had stepped out." Tyler looked at McGee, sizing him up. "If you had to have that adventure again, would you?"

"I would." McGee said with no hesitation. "I've been in love with Abby since the day I met her, and then RJ found her way straight to my heart the minute I met her."

"What about the baby?"

"I feel the same way about him or her the way I feel about RJ."

"Is Abby RJ's legal guardian now?"

"Yes. I helped Abby adopt RJ, and then I adopted both of the kids because I love them so much, and I want to be their dad. They're already both McGees."

Tyler looked at McGee again, but this time, there was something else in the gaze. It was… _deeper,_ somehow.

"First, adoption is a big undertaking, so I commend you. Second, did you know that Abby was adopted?"

McGee bobbed his head. "She told me a little while ago, and that it was when she was a baby."

Tyler blew out a breath. "She was three months old, and her biological parents died in a car crash."

"Was Abby in the car?"

"Yes, and she didn't have a scratch. The sad thing was that she was placed for adoption because she didn't have any other family."

Already, McGee was hanging on to every word. "When did you and Gloria meet her?"

"Not long after, when we went to the orphanage. Abby fell asleep the first time Gloria held her, and we just knew that she was going to be our daughter."

Tyler patted McGee fondly on the shoulder.

"Abby knows that whole part of her story, but did she ever tell you?"

"No, but I just fell in love with her even more."

"Do you want to marry my daughter?"

"More than anything, and I've wanted that long before the kids came into our lives."

"Do you promise me that you'll keep taking care of your family, like you have been?"

"Yes."

At this, Tyler hugged McGee, like he was a long lost child, and then held him at arm's length, beaming.

"After everything that Gloria and I have heard about you from Abby, we always hoped that you two would end up together. Before you arrived, we had already decided to give you our blessing, but I just wanted to have a chat with you first."

The gravity of his future father-in-law's words made McGee's knees buckle.

"Oh, my God. Thank you."

"You're welcome. And keep it together—your daughter is coming this way."

Sure enough, Rubyjane was dashing towards them, heading straight for her precious daddy. McGee scooped her up when she was close enough and hugged her.

"Hey, my Rubyjane Lily! What are you thinking?"

"We have a tree!"

"You and Aunt Ellie Kate and Uncle Luca found one?"

Rubyjane gave an enthusiastic nod. "Yep!"

"Where are they?"

She pointed to a tree about six or seven feet behind her. Luca stood, examining it, while Ellie Kate waved them over.

Impatient, Rubyjane wiggled out of McGee's arms.

"Come on!" she made sweeping motions with her own arms. "Come _on!"_

Tyler and Raja followed close behind Rubyjane while McGee brought up the rear.

This time last year, he'd purposefully worked straight through Christmas, only pausing to eat, sleep, and shower, and to go to one of his parents' social events.

Now, he was on vacation with a family he never thought he'd have, and he was in New Orleans, of all places.

Even Sarah was in town. She had her own drama, what with finding herself in the family way, but she was becoming happy again because she'd been taken in by the family, too, when she hadn't had anywhere else to go. Her happiness made McGee happy.

This was going to be the best Christmas ever.

* * *

When they returned to the Sciuto house, McGee helped get the tree inside, and situated, but the moment he could, he broke away from the pack and went to look for Abby.

He found her alone in the kitchen, although she was dressed differently than earlier. McGee noticed that Abby was barefoot, and wearing pajama shorts, and one of his large t-shirts, mostly because it was big enough to accommodate her nineteen-week belly. Her long black hair was tied up in a messy bun on top of her head to keep it out of the way, and she also had flour smudges all over everything, including her face. Abby wasn't even wearing any makeup, and McGee thought that she had never looked more beautiful.

"What?" Abby asked, self-conscious. "Is there something in my teeth?"

"No." McGee laughed. "It's just that you look very beautiful, and really domestic."

She shoved her lover playfully. "Please—we have a house and two kids. You've seen me be domestic plenty of times."

"Maybe it's because this is the house you grew up in. And why are you wearing my shirt?"

"Clumsy me," Abby pointed to protruding middle. "I accidentally knocked over a bowl of flour; it shattered, and then there was a huge flour bomb. Mom and Clementine cleaned up the mess, and Sarah talked me down from a crying jag because I was embarrassed."

"Oh, Abby…"

She patted McGee on the arm, reassuringly. "I'm fine, Tim—don't worry. My center of gravity just isn't what it used to be anymore because I'm carrying the world's _wiggliest_ baby."

"And your clothes were soiled from the flour?"

"Uh-huh. I just put on what was most comfortable and then I came back down to keep cooking—the rest of the family will be here at six, although I'm sure Uncle Horace will find a reason to arrive early."

Abby looked around.

"Where's Miss Ruby?"

"Checking out the tree. So's everyone else."

"Which means that you didn't wait until everyone but us was preoccupied by the tree to tell me that I look beautiful, even though I'm covered in flour, or to start talking about what I'm wearing."

"I just wanted to tell you that I love you very, _very_ much."

He kissed her soundly. The real reason he'd wanted to find her was because after the chat he'd had with Tyler, he'd had a strong desire to find Abby and just kiss her. She was going to be his wife.

He had yet to propose, but he knew she'd say yes.

When they finally pulled apart, Abby felt like her brain was melting, although she blamed it on the crazy pregnancy hormones coursing through her body.

"Wow…" she said in a daze.

"I also want to ask you something."

"Oh? And what would that be?"

"One day, maybe in the next year or two, do you want to get married?"

Abby's heart jumped, and she returned the kiss before giving her answer.

"Tim, of course!"

McGee almost cried in relief, but he still kept his cool and held Abby close.

"I love you." he said.

Abby melted into the hug and kissed McGee on the cheek before coming to rest her head on his shoulder.

"I love you, too."

They stayed, lost in their own world, for just a little bit longer.


	18. Up To Now

Abby broke away from the embrace first and looked up at McGee.

"Does this mean we're engaged now?"

McGee nodded. "Uh-huh. What do you think?"

"That I'm full to the brim with joy, Tim, and that I can't wait to be your wife."

In return, McGee kissed his new fiancée's cheek.

He has just pulled away from this when Sarah walked in to the kitchen. She stopped in her tracks when she saw her brother and Abby both become bashful.

Sarah turned coy. "Abby, I was just going to see if you wanted to start back up with baking, but you _clearly_ have something else on your mind."

"Well, there's no ring yet, but your brother just asked me to marry him."

Sarah lit up in joy and turned to McGee. "You did? Really?"

"Really."

Delighted, Sarah dashed away, calling for Clementine and Ellie Kate to tell them and everyone else the news. On the tail end of this, Rubyjane wandered in to the kitchen. When she saw her parents looking more cautious than usual, she approached them cautiously.

"What's happening?"

Abby picked her up. "Daddy just asked me to marry him. What do you think?"

"You said yes?"

"I did."

Rubyjane kissed Abby's cheek and hugged her. "I like it, mommy."

"Me, too."

Rubyjane shifted her gaze to McGee. "I love you, daddy."

"I love you, too, RJ."

"Did you give mommy a ring?"

"Not yet."

"For _why?"_ the toddler said in exasperation.

"I, uh…" McGee was getting nervous because his own daughter was fixing him with a death glare.

Abby hissed, "Keep it together!"

McGee promptly finished his thoughts. "I didn't give mommy a ring because I don't have one yet."

 _"When?"_

"Soon."

Quite unsatisfied, Rubyjane gave a loud, "BAH HUMBUG!" before sliding out of Abby's arms and stalking out of the kitchen.

Her parents both stared after her.

"Well," Abby quipped. "At least she believes in the concept of wedding rings."

"But apparently, she thinks it's bad manners to propose without one." McGee ran his fingers through his hair. "And what are my parents going to say? They've barely talked to me since they found out Sarah was framed for murder and neither of us called them about it. We're going to see them at the gala in January, and not coming with a plus-one is frowned upon…"

Abby had never met McGee's parents, and she'd heard many stories, but she'd never met them because they were always off on some kind of trip or another. She also knew that they intimidated their son.

"Sarah told us a few stories about them last night, and about how self-righteous they can be. I'm not scared of them."

"No?"

"No, and _you_ shouldn't be, either." Abby absently stroked McGee's chest muscles through his t-shirt. "It's _your_ life, Tim: _your_ family that _you_ built."

"The family I always wanted."

"Bingo." Abby kissed McGee and guided his hands to where the baby was kicking like sky was falling. "And now, at the end of the day, you have me, Rubyjane, and the baby to come home to. In the not-too-distant future, you'll have Clementine, Sarah, Sarah's baby, and even Scout the dog to come home to, as well."

"I like the sound of that."

"Me, too. You built this family, and you don't owe anybody anything, not even your parents. Do you understand?"

McGee nodded. "Thank you, Abby. Look at you, thinking like a wife already."

Abby took the compliment in stride. "It's going to be inevitable that your parents will give us grief because that's the kind of people they are, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. Together."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Suddenly, a new voice called, "Tim?"

He turned to see Ellie Kate walking up to him.

"Hey, EK. What's up?"

"Mom's looking for you. She's by the stairs."

"Gotcha."

With one last kiss to Abby, McGee left to look for Gloria.

When he approached the main staircase of the house, he found Gloria waiting for him. Two steps above her was Maggie, having anticipated her mistress' next move. She was just waiting for permission.

"What did you need?" McGee asked Gloria, pleased that she was a lip reader, too.

"To talk to you upstairs. This way, please."

With Maggie leading the way, McGee followed Gloria up the stairs, past the floors where Ellie Kate's, Luca's, Abby's, and Clementine's and Sarah's rooms were. The master bedroom was on the top floor, and it wasn't quite what McGee had been expecting.

Everything was in light colors, and in a nautical theme. It took McGee by surprise, and Gloria noticed.

"Not expecting this?" she asked.

"No." he confessed. "I was expecting more… southern. This puts me in mind of the beach."

"Good—our favorite movie is _Jaws,_ but we also really love the ocean."

"That's an interesting combo."

Gloria smirked. "It's no different than you being scared of heights, but not being phased when Cary Grant literally finds himself on the edge of Mount Rushmore during _North By Northwest."_

McGee made a mental note to introduce Gloria to Tony one day.

"Abby told you, huh?"

"Yes, but we all have irrational fears. I'm not saying what mine is, but Ty is afraid of spiders, and Abby is afraid of lizards."

"But don't some lizards eat spiders?"

"They do. At least Tyler's and Abby's fear subjects are in the same food chain."

Gloria sat atop a bench at the foot of the bed, and Maggie curled up next to her feet. When Gloria saw McGee watching, trying to figure out what he should do, she patted the empty space beside her on the bench. McGee joined her.

"Have you heard from Abby or Ty about how Ty and I met?" she asked.

McGee shook his head. "No."

"We're from Georgia, for starters, and we were in the same orphanage—I can't remember a time without him. There was also my older sister, and Ty's three older brothers."

"Aunt Gert, and Uncles Horace, Teddy, and Larry?"

Gloria nodded. "We were our own family. One night, they told Ty and I that we were going to run away. All we had to do was pack our bags and be ready when they said so."

"Weren't you sad about leaving?"

"No."

"How come?"

"Because it was a big adventure to us, and we were bullied every day because we were both born deaf. I refused to be adopted without Tyler, and he turned down lots of couples because nobody would take us together."

"I take it that nobody wanted the others, either?"

"Yes. They were too old, and nobody was interested in keeping us together."

"How old were you all?"

Gloria thought about it. "Ty and I were ten, Gert was fifteen, and Horace, Teddy, and Larry were eighteen, seventeen, and sixteen."

"Who's idea was it to leave Georgia? What year was it?"

"The year was 1949. We're all war orphans—my father died fighting overseas just before I was born, and my mother was accidentally hit by a car before I was one. According to Gert, we were sent to the orphanage a few days after mother's funeral, and the Sciutos were already there."

McGee sobered up and offered, "I'm so sorry that all of those things happened."

Gloria patted his hand fondly. "You were going to find out the family history, anyway. As for whose idea it was to leave, it was Horace's. He was inspired by The Boxcar Children."

"Those kids lived in an actual boxcar, though. There were already six of you."

"Horace bought this house, and he took guardianship of Tyler and I, making sure we were cared for and educated. He went to school, too, but had to drop out so he could keep his job."

"What about everyone else?"

"Teddy and Larry had jobs, too, but Horace was more strict about them staying in school."

"What about Aunt Gert? Was she deaf yet, or what she born that way?"

Gloria laughed. "Her hearing went when she was almost sixty, but that's another story."

"When did this house become yours and Tyler's?"

"On Tyler's eighteenth birthday, since he's two months older than me. Gert, Larry, and Teddy were already gone, but still in town. Horace decided that he had to stay for us, but he moved out on the night that everything had been made official. The house has been ours ever since."

Gloria stood and retrieved something from a vanity table on the side of the room. When she sat back with McGee again, she set a ring in his hand. It was beautiful—a diamond of a splendid quality sat atop a finely polished silver band. It was neither too plain, nor too extravagant, and it looked like something that Abby would wear.

"This is the ring that Tyler proposed to me with. He saved up six months' wages to buy it for me."

"That's amazing."

"He proposed to me at our favorite beach along Lake Ponchartrain at sunset. I said yes, and got married a year later."

"When did you meet Abby?"

"Twelve years later, and later that day, we found out that Ellie Kate was on the way."

Gloria paused, and McGee could see that she was thinking about something.

Finally, she said, "We've known Sarah for awhile now, and she's told us many stories about John and Ellis."

Of _course_ they'd arrived at the subject of his father and mother.

"What did Sarah say about them?"

"She told us about what they do, and also that they both come from family money. Sarah also called them snooty."

"That _is_ the right adjective."

"Even with your father being an admiral, and your mother being a philanthropist?"

"Especially because of that. They do love Sarah and I because they're our parents, but with the exception of one grandmother, the rest of my grandparents are of the 'children must be seen and not heard' variety. Those other grandparents raised their children to believe that having a lot of money means your family will be alright in the world, but it also came with inflated egos. That's why my parents are the way they are."

"I see. Sarah's also told us about your mother's gala in January."

"Did Sarah say that she and I are expected to go?"

Gloria nodded. "Yes. I know she's going to bring Clementine, and that you're bringing Abby, but is this when you're going to introduce your family to your parents?"

"I'll introduce my parents to Abby, at least. Rubyjane will be with a babysitter because she'd be too bored if we brought her."

"But you will make sure she meets her other grandparents at least once?" Gloria pressed.

"Definitely."

"Good man. And I understand that Sarah and Clementine are going to live with you and Abby in D.C.?"

"They are."

"And your house is big enough?"

McGee nodded. "Yes, and we live in a family neighborhood. There's a school down the block that we'll send Ruby to next year."

"Good, good."

Gloria sighed and changed lanes.

"You know that the Sciutos are middle class, right, and not upper class?"

"I do, and it doesn't make me love Abby, or anyone else under this roof, any less."

"But your parents could react in poor taste when they find out that we're not from some place like New York or California?"

"They could, but I'd proudly defend Abby's honor, and not just because she's my best friend and the mother of my children."

"Because Abby is your soulmate?"

"Exactly." McGee confirmed. "I can't imagine things without her."

"That's just how Tyler and I feel about each other. I have two more questions."

"Okay. Go for it."

"How did your parents meet?"

"At some party at a country club when they were teenagers—their marriage was arranged, actually."

"Wow."

"It's the truth, and that's that, unless you want to ask them and be bored to tears." McGee said in an air of not caring too much. "What's the second question?"

"I'm not robbing your mother of anything by giving you my engagement ring, am I?"

"No—her engagement ring is fused together with her wedding ring now. She had it done a few years ago."

"Alright, then."

Gloria stood, and McGee followed suit.

"I'm so glad we had the chance to talk." she told McGee. "You're perfect for Abby, and as the mother who raised her to be who she is today, I couldn't imagine anyone else but you being with her."

Just as he had been by the end of his chat with Tyler, McGee felt almost speechless and weak-kneed.

"Thank you."

"You're quite welcome." Gloria hugged him and checked the time before giving him a nudge in the direction of the door. "Now go freshen up: everyone will be here soon."

Nodding, McGee left the bedroom and headed to his and Abby's. He closed the door behind him quickly when he saw Abby standing in just her skivvies, in front of her closet. She was contemplating two dresses that were hanging up, apparently torn between the two.

Abby looked at McGee when she saw him come to stand beside her.

"Where did you disappear off to?"

"I had a chat with Gloria, and she gave me something to give to you."

"What was it?"

McGee showed his fiancée the ring. "This."

Abby gasped. "That's my mom's engagement ring!"

"It's yours now," McGee slipped it on to Abby's awaiting ring finger. "And maybe, you can pass it on to whichever of our kids gets married first."

"I like that idea." Abby giggled softly as she felt the baby stir. "So does the baby. She's kicking again."

McGee laughed, too. "You think it's a girl? Just today, you were telling RJ that she could be getting a brother."

Abby shrugged. "Mommy's intuition can change."

"Hey, where's your Mini-Me?"

"Being looked after our sisters—she still won't talk to me because of the ring thing, but she'll probably change her tune soon."

"Good."

McGee kissed Abby on the forehead and then pointed to the closet. "What's going on over here?"

"I can't decide what to wear."

"Then allow me to help."

In next to no time, McGee had helped her decide on a dress to wear, and they were both getting ready for what was sure to be a very memorable night.


	19. Hawaii

Meanwhile, in Honolulu, Tony and Ziva were walking together along the beach, not far from their hotel room. It was a pleasant day, and lots of people, both locals and tourists, were out and about, enjoying the weather.

Tony was wearing another one of his Hawaiian print shirts, and yet another pair of his khaki shirts, while Ziva was wearing a light and airy sundress. It was decorated with hibiscus flowers. Tony hadn't done much with his hair, other than combing it and putting styling gel in it, but Ziva liked to go the extra mile for her boyfriend, and had done so for herself.

Today, she hadn't contained it as she usually did at work, but left it long and cascading down her back. She also had a real hibiscus blossom tucked behind one ear. It had been given to her by one of the local children, who had been giving away flowers. Unable to resist, Ziva thanked the girl and tucked the flower behind her left ear. Ziva felt beautiful.

Tony thought this of his girlfriend, and as they walked along the beach together, he noticed that even though Christmas was the week after next, there were a lot of weddings happening that day.

Tony was letting his thoughts run away on this matter because he remembered Ziva saying that when he proposed to her, she would say yes. Currently, Tony was wondering what Ziva's feelings on eloping were, or if she knew what the word was.

He turned to her to see what she thought, but then saw an expression on her face that said she was a million miles away.

"What are you thinking, Z?" he asked.

"Remember how I told you earlier that my father called from his hotel in Sydney?"

Tony nodded. "You also said you don't want to talk about it."

"Well, I have changed my mind."

"Okay, go."

Ziva stopped walking, and Tony turned to face her, waiting.

"My father is coming to D.C. next month. He wants to see me."

"When was the last time you saw him?"

Ziva sighed. "Ari's funeral."

"Ah. That could complicate things a little."

"Yes, and you know what I love him, but that things are estranged."

"My dad and I are the same way."

"Speaking of whom, why have I not met him?"

Tony coughed and then gave a nervous laugh. "This isn't about me."

Ziva humored him. "Right. You know my father is the head of Mossad, yes?"

"Yes. It's one of the first things I learned about you."

"He has done things that the general public in this country would find deplorable, but I still love him, Tony."

"Of course—he's your _dad."_

"Well, in spite of what abba has done, he loves children, and children love him. Rubyjane would, for that matter. I just do not want to live in a world where our little ones do not know him, but…"

Ziva's voice trailed off, and her words got caught in her throat. Tony rubbed her shoulder comfortingly.

"Get it out, Z." he encouraged. "Just get it out."

"Abba still has the authority to call me back home."

"And you don't want to leave?"

Ziva shook her head. "No! I could not leave you, or NCIS, or the rest of the team. And the director is more than a director to me…"

Tony remembered the story of the events during the early years of Ziva's and Jenny's partnership about what had caused them to have a relationship that was a mix of mentor/mentee, best friends, and mother/daughter. They had been through hell together, and their bond had only been forged stronger than ever in all the fire.

"You made a family here in more ways than one," Tony briefly put a hand to Ziva's middle. "And you weren't even looking for one when you got here, but now that you and I made one out of us and a baby, you couldn't imagine being anywhere else?"

"Yes. My mother took Tali, Ari, and I away from our father at one point because the two of them were fighting all the time. She thought we would be better off, away from all that." Ziva rubbed her eyes, trying not to cry at the memories. "I vowed to myself, that should I become a mother one day, I would not let that happen."

"Because things were miserable?"

This time, Ziva nodded. "Yes, but I can think of one way to ensure that there is no danger of me being called back to Israel, and no separation from you or the baby."

"What is it?"

"Becoming an American citizen, so I could become an NCIS agent."

Tony's heart skipped a beat immediately. He loved the idea already, and Ziva was almost on the same page to begin with, but he didn't say anything because he wanted to see what else was on her mind.

"I would not become an American or a proper agent purely for the sake of those two things, or for a family life with you. I would do it because I genuinely love America now. I love it, and I want to see as much of it as possible." Ziva continued. "There will be people—namely abba—who will say that I am forsaking Mossad and being a spy just to stay here. Would you stand by me, Tony, should that fire fall?"

"I absolutely will, Ziva. You're my best friend, the love of my life, and the mother of my child—I will protect you, the baby, and any of the rest of our future kids from anything that comes our way, especially unjust accusations hurled at you. I'll do it without any hesitation. Do you understand?"

She nodded and smiled at him. "I do. Thank you, my love. If it came down to it, would you still marry me? If it meant my being able to stay here?"

"Yes, and you know, babe, Ziva DiNozzo has a nice ring to it."

"It does." she agreed.

Tony indicated the beach, still heavily populated.

"I don't know how much you've been paying attention during our walk, but we've passed by three weddings."

"Four, actually."

"Okay, four."

Ziva raised an eyebrow. "And what are you saying? That we elope?"

Tony grinned—so she _did_ know the word. "That _is_ what I'm suggesting, yes."

"That is very sweet." Ziva kissed him. "I would love nothing more than to be your wife, but I would still at least like a proposal and a ring first. I would also be nice for our friends and family to be at our wedding… including your father and mine."

"Good point. Hey, it was just a thought."

Again, Ziva kissed him. "And a good one."

"I'm glad you think so. Do you want to keep walking?"

Ziva felt her stomach turn cartwheels as Tony said this, and not in a good way.

"No. I need to lie down."

"Do you feel like you're going to be sick?"

Ziva had been struggling with morning sickness already, although it wasn't as bad in Hawaii as it was at home.

"No." she repeated. "How far back to the hotel?"

"Not far." Tony put an arm around Ziva's waist and turned them back in the direction that they'd come. "This way."

* * *

It wasn't too late in the afternoon, but by the time they were back in their hotel room, Ziva could barely stay awake. When she was felt sick, but not bad enough to vomit, she preferred sleeping it off.

"Are you going to be alright?"

Ziva was now ready for bed, and had her hair done in two long sleeping braids. She nodded as she crawled under the covers and let Tony tuck her in.

"Yes. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'm going to do some more exploring, but if you need something, you can call me or the front desk."

She closed her eyes and yawned. "I will bear that in mind. I love you."

"Sleep tight." Tony kissed her temple and turned out the light. "I love you, too."

Ziva fell asleep smiling.

When Tony was sure that ZIva was out cold, he crept over to his suitcase and checked the front pocket. Inside was a small square felt box, and inside the box rested a diamond engagement ring.

He'd been engaged before, but that engagement had been made in haste—one reason why they'd had to end things. But now, Ziva was in his life, and even though she'd shown up because of a specific mission (which had since been completed), he couldn't imagine the rest of his life without her.

He didn't know if he _wanted_ to imagine the rest of his life without Ziva there.

All of the songs made sense.

They were even going to be parents.

Tony had bought the ring not long after he and Ziva had made their little son or daughter, but still before they knew it was there. Since arriving in Hawaii, he'd made up his mind about proposing to Ziva, the Twelfth Rule be damned. He'd even thought about proposing to her on Christmas—she didn't celebrated the holiday because she'd grown up celebrating Hanukkah, although she still partook in the holiday festivities, all the same.

But things had changed after their chat on the beach.

He was going to propose to her even sooner.


	20. Christmas In Hawaii

Unfortunately, Ziva was down for the count for much of the next day, claiming awful morning sickness. She also slept a lot. While awake, she ate only what she could keep down, which amounted to tea and toast, before falling asleep again. Tony took care of her, the whole time, even replying to her when she spoke in her sleep, although that was another story.

This was his future wife, and he would do anything for her.

Whenever, wherever.

* * *

Christmas Day found Ziva feeling back to herself, and awake before Tony.

Today is Christmas, she realized. I should get Tony's things out for him.

Last year at work, she had participated in the office-wide Secret Santa game, and had ended up drawing Jenny's name as the person to give gifts to. That had been easy because she knew Jenny like the back of her hand. Ziva had been pleasantly surprised to learn that Tony had been her Secret Santa because she had spent the week receiving very thoughtful and useful gifts; for all the times Tony drove her crazy, he was, deep down, a nice man who remembered even the little things about her. A keeper.

This year, with help from the almighty Google and many things that she remembered from Tony's endless anecdotes about his life, she put together a Christmas stocking for him, full of things she knew he would like. She also got him the latest edition of the _Scene It?_ game, something she knew for sure that Tony didn't own.

Moving as quickly as she could, but still quietly enough to not wake Tony, Ziva donned a robe and retrieved his presents from her suitcase. When she laid them down on the dining table, she was tickled to see a tabletop palm tree decorated in Christmas lights; this had to have been Tony's doing, at some point while she was asleep.

She also saw a nice box, wrapped in blue wrapping paper with a gold letter z pattern, topped with a white ribbon, tied into a bow. Leaning against it was her first-ever Christmas stocking full of new things, waiting to be opened.

Great minds really did think alike.

Deciding that she was in need of a shower, Ziva moved to the bathroom and started up the water. When it was was to her liking, she stripped down, and stepped into the stall. And because she was the sort of person to do so in the shower, she began to sing.

Back in bed, Tony woke to the sound of running water and the sound of Ziva singing _Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas._ He'd also woken up from a dream where he and Ziva had been making love, and as a result, he had a serious case of morning wood going on.

"Hopefully, she'll want to help me take care of this." Tony muttered.

Ziva noticed Tony when he approached the shower stall. This wasn't difficult, though, because the stall was large and was made of glass, and even steamed up, Ziva had a perfect view of Tony… and just all that he was packing.

She decided to string him along, just for fun.

"Good morning, my love!" she trilled. "I am feeling so much better."

Tony tried not to groan as he watched Ziva deliberately soap herself up. In spite of his effort, all the the blood in his body rushed straight down, and his member was resting snug against his stomach.

"Good..."

Ziva nodded. "Although it seems that _you_ need help to feel better."

"Yes, please…"

"Come on."

Ziva opened the stall door, and as Tony was already naked by this point, so he hurried in, quickly closing the door behind him.

Tony let out a loud, blissful sigh as the water hit his muscles, and when he looked at Ziva, she was watching him hungrily. All of the suds had washed away, leaving nothing obscured, and every inch of her skin wet and on display.

This is my future wife, Tony thought. What did I do to be so lucky?

That's when he noticed that she was moving him.

"What are you doing?" he asked her.

"Moving you under the water so it will be more calming for you while I work."

"Work?"

Ziva got on her knees and gave Tony's member a gentle tug. This wasn't the first time even that week that she had 'serviced him,' but it was the first time in awhile that it had happened while they were in the shower together. He thrust into her hand, letting out a guttural sound.

Ziva looked up at him. "Need I see more?"

Tony gave another involuntary thrust. "No."

"Very good, my love." Ziva kissed Tony's groin. "Think of this as one of your Christmas presents, hm?"

Tony just nodded, and let himself get lost in the moment.

Being around Ziva was always an experience. Of course, she was beautiful, but there were other things, too.

Ziva was as tough as nails when she had to be, and highly intelligent to boot, although at other times, she was kind, warm, smart, and very funny. In bed, she was wild and passionate, in a very beautiful, soul-fulfilling way. Ziva also knew how he, Tony, liked to be touched, and that the feeling of her lips on his skin when she had him in such a vulnerable position always put him in a very suggestible state of mind altogether.

The first time Tony came, Ziva swallowed every drop, and Tony thought he'd died and gone to Heaven because of how long she'd managed to prolong it. He also thought he didn't have anything left in him, but to his amazement, Ziva worked her magic and got him to release a second time.

When that was done, though, Ziva left Tony's seed to spatter all over his front.

Then she stood.

"What are you doing?" he protested.

"Not hanging you out to dry, I assure you."

Ziva took the soap from earlier and lathered up her hands. Before Tony could ask anything further, Ziva began washing Tony's body, starting from the shoulders and slowly working her way down. When she got to his abs, she took care of them until that area of his body was completely clean.

Then she reached his cock again and began to lather that up, too. It was only a little bit limp, but in a few beats, it was at full mast once again and bobbing up and down in time with the pulse of Tony's voice.

"Ziva, I think I'm spent."

She smirked. "Your body is not acting like it. Be loud."

"I will, but you realize that I'm going to have to take you on the bed after this, right?"

He was actively thrusting in to her hand on every other word, unable to stop himself.

"Of course I realize it—turnabout _is_ fair play, after all." Ziva used her other hand to start massaging Tony's family jewels. "Use your lungs now."

Tony did, and a third time, he erupted in Ziva's hold.

Finally, the water turned cold, so they shut it off and relocated to the bed. Tony didn't need much recovery time, even with everything Ziva had done. He was proud of himself on that account.

The next thing Ziva knew, Tony was inside of her and moving gently. He was even supporting himself on his hands as he looked into her eyes.

"I love you, Ziva. I love you."

"And I, you." she purred, holding on to his arms to keep their union complete. "I do not want to live without you, Tony."

Her voice had such a spell over him, that he came inside her almost immediately. There had been no time to warn her, so he watched as her body reacted to the feeling: her body went rigid beneath him, and she let out a soft, "Oh!" of surprise at the moment of impact, reaching her own peak at the same time.

They came down together, and when her body finally went slack, she smiled lovingly at him.

"You are my heart."

Still inside her, he gave a gentle thrust, whispering, "And you are mine."

* * *

Tony had been extremely tempted to propose to Ziva during their lovemaking and then to give her the ring after, but he still remembered that she had once expressed the desire to be proposed to while not horny and naked.

So… he waited.

The lovemaking definitely helped with working up an appetite because by the time they were done, cleaned up, and ready to socialize with other people, they were both very hungry. Upon returning from breakfast out in the hotel dining room, they were in their room again and sitting at their own table. It was finally time to open presents.

After a beat, Ziva tore her gaze away from her gifts.

"I have never had a stocking before, and I am looking forward to opening mine. I hope you like yours."

Tony's Christmas stocking was decorated with the Magnum, P.I. logo, surrounded by bamboo and palm trees. He was giddy, like a little boy, and touched at the same time that she had remembered his favorite show.

"I love it already, Z, and fun fact—I've never had a Magnum stocking before. This is awesome!"

Encouraged by this, Ziva started on her own stocking. It was dark blue and covered in a hedgehog pattern—she had spent many summers as a child chasing after wild hedgehogs at her parents' farmhouse in the Israel countryside. She had only ever told Tony about those memories.

Inside the stocking, Ziva found a new pair of gloves, and matching hat and scarf, a set of nice barrettes, a travel manicure a 'minimergency' kit, and even a new field book and pen. Tony had also put in a gift card to Ziva's favorite bakery back home, a chocolate orange, a bag of chocolate coins and a new dreidel, a box of her favorite tea. There was also fifty dollars in clean, crisp assorted bills tucked in to one of the gloves. Last, but not least, there was a set of adorable miniature hedgehog figurines. These would be going on her desk.

The wrapped package that Ziva had noticed earlier turned out to be a new jigsaw puzzle. It was five hundred pieces, and it depicted a fun scene from a 1950s toy store. This was a decade that she'd always found fascinating, and she was also excited because not too many people knew she was good at puzzles.

She made to thank Tony for all the new things, but when she looked up, he wasn't sitting opposite her anymore.

"Tony?" she said curiously.

"Here!"

Ziva turned to see Tony on bended knee, holding a beautiful ring out to her.

This time, Ziva said his name in a gasp. "Tony?"

He moved closer. "I was going to do this yesterday, but you were knocked out of commission, so I'm going to try this again: Ziva, you're my soulmate, and my best friend. I want to have more kids with you, grow old with you, and keep having more adventures with you for the rest of our lives together. Will you marry me?"

"Yes, Tony! Yes!"


	21. Christmas In Lousiana

Abby had always loved Christmas.

She loved the meaning behind it, and the joy that being together with her family brought. She also loved the Christmas traditions that they did, including the annual viewing of A Christmas Story while eating Clementine's ham and grilled cheese sandwiches. Next to Thanksgiving and her birthday, Christmas was another day that she was thankful that her biological parents had met, fallen in love, gotten married, and made her.

This year, she was loving Christmas more than ever because she was engaged now, and a mother.

The baby she was carrying was very active and loved to kick her what seemed to be around the clock. It also seemed to really enjoy when she snacked on pickles and peanut butter, but in equal measure, the baby loved being talked to by its parents and big sister. Abby had long ago given up up on being pregnant, and now that she was, it felt like the best feeling in the world.

Then there was Rubyjane. She was beautiful and bright, and just a very fun person to be around. Christmas Day also happened to be her birthday, and from what Abby gathered, the little girl had never had a proper birthday or Christmas before because of what had happened during the years she'd lived with Onyx. Abby wasn't sure if Rubyjane understood what the fun side of having a birthday was.

She was determined to change this.

* * *

Abby woke abruptly to the sound of Rubyjane's voice.

"Up! Up! Up!"

When Abby and McGee didn't act fast enough, Rubyjane began bouncing up and down on the mattress.

"Oh, my God, Tim." Abby groaned, reaching across and nudging him. "Please make Ruby stop—she probably doesn't have her hearing aids in, and the baby's going whacko."

Dutifully, McGee sat up, caught Rubyjane in mid-bounce, and helped her put her hearing aids in. By this time, Abby had pulled herself in to a sitting position, something that was not easy these days because whenever the baby was awake, it behaved like it was on caffeine. At least she wasn't the size a whale. Yet.

"How are you doing?" she asked her daughter. "Do you know what today is?"

Rubyjane thought about it. "Tuesday?"

Abby tried not to laugh. "Actually, yes, but do you know else today is?""

"Nope!"

"Today is Christmas, which also means it's your birthday!"

A light went on in Rubyjane's head at this last part, and she brightened.

"I'm three today!" she crowed proudly, holding up two fingers.

"It's actually _this_ many, kid." McGee helped Rubyjane hold up the correct amount of fingers and helped her count them. "You see? One, two, three."

His daughter echoed him, and then pointed to herself.

"Me? _I'm_ three?"

McGee bobbed his head. "Uh-huh. What do you think?"

Rubyjane shrugged and slid off the bed, walking away.

"Where are you going?" McGee called after her.

"To potty!" Rubyjane called, without looking back.

"Do you need help?"

"No!"

McGee sighed and turned to Abby. "If she's this independent when she's three, what's she going to be like when she's a teenager?"

"Probably calling us Abby and Tim, and figuring out makeup."

"Okay, but she can't date until she's thirty!"

Abby chortled. "My first date was when I was twelve. EK's was when she was eleven."

"What the hell?" McGee complained. "When was Clementine's?"

"She was eight, and it was with her friend from class."

McGee hung his head, so Abby gave him a sympathetic path on the shoulder.

"We still have another kid besides Ruby, remember? And who knows? They might not always be the youngest."

McGee lifted his head to look at his fiancée. "Wait—you want more than two kids?"

Abby nodded. "I love Ruby and the baby equally, but if the one I'm carrying now is another girl, I'd like to try for a son until we get one… that is, if a son doesn't fall into our laps first."

"Like Ruby did?"

"Exactly."

McGee was now pondering Abby's words as memories of his chat with Gloria popped into his brain.

"What if we end up adopting siblings, though?"

"Then we take them all, no matter how many there are or how old they are."

Abby straddled McGee's lap and sat facing him. She took his face in her hands and looked at him with concern.

"You alright, Tim?"

He nodded and lowered her hands, but held on to them. "Yep—I'm just picturing our lives with lots of kids. I've always wanted a lot, but I've never been able to share that with anyone before."

"Well, you've told me, and I'm going to be your wife." Abby kissed his cheek. "That counts."

"Definitel—what's wrong?"

Abby's bottom lip was trembling, like she was going to cry.

"The baby is kicking again, and she just won't let up!"

McGee rubbed Abby's lower back, in the area he knew she liked. "What can I do?"

"Help me think of a name to call her when she's being a pest!"

"Well, for an _actual_ name, I like Riversong."

"Either your brain is actually a computer," Abby quipped. "Or you've been sitting on that name for awhile."

McGee blushed. "The second one, and Riversong flows with Rubyjane."

"It does." Abby agreed. "It's also cute and elegant, like Ruby's name is, and when she grows up, she could go by River if she wanted."

"So then it's agreed—Kid Number Two is called Riversong?"

"Yes."

"Is it wrong that I think we should keep the name to ourselves?"

"No—River's name will be our secret for now." McGee gently rested a hand on Abby's middle. "I can feel her in there, but I don't feel any more kicks."

Abby actually smiled, her mood lifted. "That's because she stopped. River just needed her name."

"Feel better?"

"Much." Abby hugged McGee and got off the bed to stretch. "Merry Christmas."

She didn't wait for a reply because was already hurrying out.

McGee just laughed and spoke aloud to the empty room as he fell back on the bed.

"Merry Christmas, Abby. Merry Christmas."

* * *

After going to the bathroom and making sure she had her precious bumblebee teddy bear toy in tow, Rubyjane wandered through the house, checking to see who was awake.

She found Sarah first.

Rubyjane blew her a kiss. "Good morning!"

Sarah spoke around a yawn. "Good morning, baby girl. Happy birthday."

"Thanks!"

"Where's your mommy and your daddy?"

Rubyjane shrugged. "Talking."

"You hungry?"

"Yes!"

"Okay, baby. Come on—I'll make us both some breakfast."

Rubyjane happily followed Sarah after that.

In the spirit of generosity and because Rubyjane loved to learn, Sarah let her niece help her make no-bake breakfast bars, arrange a plate of just-cut apple slices, and even pour two cups of milk.

While they ate, Sarah began imagining what life was going to be like when her own child was a toddler. Perhaps Rubyjane was around in her life right now so she could practice being a mother. The little girl was already plowing through breakfast, and Sarah was willing to take that as a good sign.

"Auntie?"

Rubyjane's voice punctuated Sarah's thoughts.

"Yes?" she asked.

"My hair's in my face. Please help?"

Rubyjane's natural hair color was black, and it was down to her shoulders and quite thick. At the moment, she had bedhead, and a lot of her hair kept flopping into her face. It was clearly frustrating her.

"Sure thing, Miss Ruby." Sarah stood behind the little girl's chair and started to gently comb through her dark tresses with her fingers. "I'm going to give you a nice braid."

Rubyjane continued eating, but she stayed still for Sarah.

"Thank you, auntie. I love you."

Sarah smiled. "I love you, too."

When Sarah had finished braiding Rubyjane's hair and she'd secured it with a hair tie, she sat back in her chair. Standing up hadn't winded her per se, but the baby was apparently in a silly mood, because it kept turning flips. This caused Sarah to exhale audibly and touch a hand to her middle.

This caught Rubyjane's attention.

"Is your tummy icky?"

"No." Sarah shook her head. "There's a baby in there."

Immediately, Rubyjane turned in her chair to look at Sarah, eyes wide. "There is? Like how mommy has?"

"Yep. What do you think?"

"I like babies." Rubyjane cast a glance at Sarah's midsection and then at Sarah. "Does it kick?"

"No—that won't be for a long time yet."

"Oh."

Rubyjane's interest ran its course, so she slid off her chair and hugged Sarah before heading off to a bathroom again.

Amused, Sarah looked down at her middle and her bump a tickle. She smiled when she felt a small flip.

"That's Cousin Ruby, little one. She's a love, but she's going to be much more excited when you start kicking."

The baby just wiggled, so Sarah spoke in a whisper.

"But mama wouldn't mind if you stayed little."

* * *

In a great show of self-restraint, Rubyjane had stayed out of the den, where the tree and presents had been arranged. She didn't know what was keeping her away, so Abby checked on her.

"What's wrong?"

Rubyjane shuffled her feet. "Where's daddy?"

"Hanging out with Auntie Sarah. Want me to get him?"

"No." Rubyjane shuffled her feet again. "My other daddy didn't give me anything last year."

Immediately, Abby's heart broke for her daughter, and at the same time, she felt anger towards Onyx for having deprived his own child of even simple joys.

"Mommy," Rubyjane whimpered. "Was it because I was bad?"

Rubyjane asked this with her face pressed into the side of Abby's dress, making her query sound muffled. Her sadness was so palpable that all Abby could was stroke Rubyjane's hair.

That's how McGee found them.

"What's wrong?" he asked cautiously.

Abby sighed. "RJ just told me she didn't get any presents last year, and she asked me if it was because she was bad."

Like his fiancée, McGee was filled with sadness and anger about how Onyx had treated Ruby, but he took the higher road. Scooping Rubyjane up in a hug, he wiped her tears and gave her a kiss on her crown.

"You weren't bad last year, alright?" McGee said gently. "He just didn't have a lot of money. That's all it was."

Rubyjane rubbed her eyes and sniffled, "You sure, daddy?"

"Very sure."

Rubyjane hugged McGee and gave him a pat on the back.

"I love you, daddy."

McGee tried not to turn to mush. "I love you, too, Rubyjane Lily. So much. You ready to open presents?"

When they reached the den, the rest of the family was waiting.

"Everything alright?" Tyler wanted to know.

McGee nodded. "Ruby just had some jitters that needed quelling."

"Is she better now?"

"Yep."

McGee set Rubyjane down so that she was facing the tree. There were present piles and stockings for everybody, but it was very clear what was for the birthday girl.

"Bumblebee," McGee said to his daughter. "Do you see something that's for you?"

"Daddy, I can't read yet." she said blankly.

"Think about it."

Rubyjane looked at all of the present piles, and spotted one where everything was wrapped in paper that bore her favorite insect.

"There!"

She hurried forward and plucked a box up before hurrying back to McGee, who had moved on to the couch to sit next to Abby. In a heartbeat, Rubyjane had plunked herself in his lap.

"Who's this from?" she asked.

McGee hugged her. "It's from me!"

Completely enthralled, Rubyjane tore into the paper… although she quickly got derailed by a very stubborn piece of tape, and she had to ask her parents for help. When they'd helped her, she continued and was very excited to find a new bumblebee costume.

Everyone else took this as segue to open their own presents. Even the dogs got new things.

Rubyjane was in the thick of things, enjoying every moment.


	22. Rule 51

All too soon, vacation was over for everyone, and it was time to return home.

* * *

Tony and Ziva had just made it to baggage claim and retrieved their bags when something unexpected happened.

Ziva tripped over a wheel on their luggage trolley, and she landed the wrong way. It happened so fast that Tony didn't have time to catch her, but he was next her immediately.

"Ziva, let me help you sit up." he said.

The second his hands came in to contact with her body, Ziva felt like everything was on fire, so he pushed him away.

 _"Lo!"_ she said sternly, shaking her head.

"Okay, so I guess that's Hebrew for no…" he mused. "What can I do? How is the baby?"

Ziva tried not to cry as she held a hand over her middle. "I do not know, and I would not be able to handle it if something happened because I tripped!"

Before Tony could say anything, a security guard hurried over and knelt beside them, speaking to Ziva.

"M'am, I saw you go down, and I called for the paramedics."

"Thank you."

The guard nodded, acknowledging her thanks. "You're welcome; the paramedics will be here soon. Is there anything you need?"

"For the crowd to disperse."

Naturally, a crowd of onlookers had gathered, but already, another security guard was working on breaking them up.

"My partner, Jake, is working on making that happen." she smiled kindly at Ziva. "I'm Anna—what's your name?"

"Ziva." She indicated her own partner. "This is Tony, my fiancé."

Tony shook hands with Anna.

"We just got back from Hawaii, but Ziva tripped on a luggage trolly wheel." he explained. "I think she sprained her left ankle."

Anna turned back to Ziva. "May I see it?"

Reluctantly, Ziva rolled back her parents on the aching leg to let Anna observe. She didn't flinch, but Anna could see, plain as day, that Ziva's ankle was bright red and swollen.

"That's definitely sprained." Anna looked at Ziva curiously. "How are you handling this so calmly?"

"My body is on fire, but I have been through _much_ worse."

This time, Anna looked to Tony for confirmation.

"It's true—we both work at NCIS, but Ziva came to us from Mossad."

"You mean Israel's top intelligence agency?"

"The one and only."

Ziva chimed in, "My father is the director."

"Also true." Tony confirmed.

"Living with a sprained ankle will be a pie walk."

"Ziva, that's _cake_ walk."

"Good, because I detest pie."

She patted Tony's knee, and immediately, he sat behind her for support. She sat between his legs and leaned against him, and exhaled in relief when she was as comfortable as she was going to get.

Anna marveled over how in sync Tony and Ziva were, but she saw that Ziva had her hands over her middle, she grew concerned.

"Are you _sure_ that you don't want anything for the pain?"

"Yes—I am pregnant, but not too far along."

Before Anna could say anything, her partner had arrived with the paramedics. She explained the situation, and then the paramedics set up shop beside the couple.

"You're called Ziva?" the first paramedic asked.

"Yes, and I'm with my fiancé, Tony…"

Her words ended in a moan as another wave of throbbing pain washed over her. Tony could see that Ziva was trying not to cry, so she stroked her hair and kissed her brow, comfortingly. Ziva was putty immediately, so Tony spoke to the paramedics for her.

"We just got back from Hawaii, and Ziva tripped on a luggage trolley wheel. It looks like she sprained her ankle."

The paramedic took this in stride and looked to Ziva again. "My name is Lucy, and my partner, Silas, is going to check your ankle, alright?"

Ziva nodded. "Alright. What are _you_ going to do?"

"I'm going to keep talking to you—Anna said you don't want anything for the pain because you're pregnant. Do you know how far along you are?"

"Five weeks…"

Her words ended in another moan of discomfort because Silas was treating her wound and wrapping it. He was being as diligent as he could, but Ziva's body was hypersensitive. She could feel everything.

Lucy gave Ziva her hand to hold. "You just hold my hand and squeeze it."

Ziva echoed her words from earlier, "I have been through worse," before caving and squeezing Lucy's hand.

"Good job." Lucy praised when Ziva showed signs of her pain passing. "It looks like Silas is done, but we are going to have to go to the hospital to examine your ankle further."

"I understand. Can we check on the baby, too?"

"Of course. First things first, though—you're going to take a ride on the gurney. Silas is going to keep it steady, but Tony and I are going to help you up, okay?"

She nodded, and with careful maneuvering, she was lifted on to the gurney. When she got situated, Ziva grabbed Tony by the sleeve and pulled him close to her.

"You are coming, my love?"

"Of course, babe." Tony nodded. "I'm going to get a ride, but I'll be there in two shakes of a lamb's tail."

"I do not have time for your colloquialisms!" Ziva snapped.

She was clearly irritated because she was in pain, so Tony kissed her and called, "I'll be there as quickly as possible!" before seeing her off with the paramedics.

* * *

Tony caught a taxicab to the hospital, but since he didn't have a place to put his and Ziva's luggage, he picked an empty chair in the corner of the waiting room and sat down to wait.

"DiNozzo?"

He looked up at the sound of his name and was quite surprised to see his bosses approaching.

"Gibbs? Jenny?" he stood and shook hands with them. "What are you doing here? Nothing's wrong, I hope?"

"Everything is fine—" Gibbs began, but was quickly cut off by Jenny.

"We were already here because we found out something really exciting!" the redhead blurted.

Tony remembered how, the day before they'd each left for their vacations, the director had dropped the bombs that she was pregnant, and that she and Gibbs were in a relationship. Jenny and Gibbs were as good as parents to him, caring for him and looking after him the way actual parents did. They were actually better to him than the parents he'd had growing up. Hearing that they were having a baby together sent Tony into orbit. He couldn't imagine what could possibly top that, but he was immediately invested.

"I could do with some good news."

Beaming, Jenny framed her middle to show it off. "We just found out that we're having twins!"

This time, Tony hugged them both.

"Congrats, you guys! That's really awesome!"

They thanked him, and then Gibbs met his underling with a look of scrutiny.

"Why are you here, Tony?"

"Long story short: we just got back from Hawaii, but Ziva tripped and seriously sprained her ankle. I had to catch a taxi here because of luggage, and I only just got here, so I don't know anything yet."

"Then Leroy and I will sit with you." Jenny decided as she sat in the empty chair next to Tony's. "You shouldn't be alone, and I need to see Ziva."

Gibbs took the chair on Tony's other side. "So do I."

Tony's heart filled with love for Jenny and Gibbs. The team really was a family.

He sat down next to Jenny, but things were only quiet again for a beat when Jenny spoke up again.

"There's another thing, isn't there?"

Tony nodded. "Yes, but you can't tell anyone because we haven't even been back to our place yet."

"You have my word."

"Mine, too." Gibbs added.

Tony exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "I proposed to Ziva in Honolulu on Christmas, and she said yes. I also found out that I'm going to be a dad."

They congratulated him and hugged him.

Then Tony spoke hastily, saying, "Boss, I know Rule 12 exists for a reason, but—"

"Rule 51, DiNozzo."

Tony furrowed his brow, trying to think of which rule this was, but he couldn't.

"I'm coming up blank."

Gibbs grinned. "It's a new rule that we thought up over the holidays, on account of how many things are changing."

"Like how you and Jenny are together and starting a family, and because Tim and Abby are _definitely_ together, and have kids and a house, but are _not_ married?"

"It's also because of you and Ziva."

"What's Rule 51, then?"

Jenny spoke up. "Rule 51 is—sometimes, you're wrong. It applies to the rest of The Rules, too. We're throwing Rule 12 out the window, once and for all."

"Wow." Tony looked to Gibbs. "Is this true?"

"Yes."

"Wow." Tony said again, just feeling dazed. "Thank you."

Jenny winked. "You're very welcome, and we couldn't be happier for you and Ziva."

Tony just nodded, because already, thoughts were with his fiancée again. He hoped everything was alright."

Finally—

"Tony?"

Ziva was approaching, wheeling herself along in a wheelchair. Not far behind her was a nurse, but Tony barely noticed because what had his attention was the corrective boot on her leg.

"How are you?" he asked, giving her a gentle hug.

"The doctor does not want me standing just yet," she returned his hug. "But I am fine. So is the baby."

Jenny and Gibbs watched them from a distance, and from where she stood, she saw Ziva's ring sparkling in the overhead lights.

Just for a moment, Jenny felt jealous. She loved Ziva because she was her best friend, and because she considered her a daughter, but still… she felt jealous.

All Jenny had ever wanted was to marry the love of her life and have kids with him. She and Gibbs were going to be together forever now, and they had two little babies on the way. That made her happy.

Marriage was just the one thing they hadn't reached a solid conclusion about. Jenny didn't blame Gibbs because he was a widower, and he had had a string of unsuccessful marriages after that, but deep down, she still wanted to be his wife.

Gibbs noticed that his companion was not herself.

"You okay, Jenny?" he asked.

"Yes." she found herself saying. "It's nothing that a chat with Ziva and Abby can't cure."

Gibbs had a feeling he knew exactly what was on in the redhead's mind, but he decided to let the sleeping dogs lie.

"Okay, but look alive—the kids are headed this way."

Ziva had the hang of her wheelchair now, she made her way over to Jenny and Gibbs. She felt puzzled.

"Why are you two here? I am pleased, but…"

"We were already here." Jenny winked. "We saw Tony, though, and we decided to wait with him because we wanted to see you."

"Oh." Ziva smiled. "Thank you."

"Of course." Gibbs told her. "We should get going, Ziva, but we're glad to see that you're doing alright. What do you think the chances are of you coming in tomorrow?"

"Quite high."

"Then we'll see you tomorrow."

"Come by my office when you come in." Jenny added. "See you tomorrow, Ziva. Be well."

The younger woman thanked her and watched them go before turning back to her beau.

"Do you know why they were here?" she asked him.

Tony chose his words wisely because he didn't want to give the news away. "I do, but right now is about _you,_ so let's get back to the nurse, alright?"

Ziva leaned back in her chair as Tony pushed it for her. "I _do_ want to leave…"

"Good. The sooner we get out of here, the sooner we can go home."

"Yes." she agreed. "I miss home."

As she said this, her thoughts wandered. She and Tony were living together, engaged, and were going to be parents. That was a lot of adventure.

But even this, a visit to the hospital to treat a sprained ankle, was a lot of adventure, too.

And it was theirs.


	23. Abby, Jenny, and Ziva

The newly-established McGee/Sciuto family left New Orleans for Maryland again on the same day that Tony and Ziva left Hawaii. When they got home, there was just enough time for take-out before bed.

Everybody, even the new people, fell asleep quickly.

* * *

After dropping Rubyjane off at her daycare, Abby and McGee arrived in the squad room just after Tony and Ziva did. When Abby saw Ziva on crutches, she grew to the level of Mother Hen alarm.

"What happened?" she cried. "Why didn't you call?"

"One—I shall explain later," Ziva replied calmly as she sat in her chair and began placing her new hedgehog figurines on her desk. "And two—you and your family were traveling home from New Orleans, yet."

Apparently, this was all the satisfaction the goth needed because she simmered back down and pointed to a stack of packages wrapped in brown paper. Each one was marked with a name of someone on the team.

"Are these what I think they are?"

Ziva grinned. "Those are presents from our time in Hawaii… but I know there is another word…"

"Souvenirs." Abby prompted.

"Yes, that. Do you have anything pressing you need to attend to at the moment?"

"No."

"Could you put the correct packages on the corresponding desks, please? I am also going to see the director—but I imagine she will be happy to see you, too."

"I would love to help!" Abby was already sorting through everything. "I brought souvenirs, too!"

That's when Ziva noticed Ziva carrying an extra satchel in addition to what she usually carried, and that it was quite bulky.

"Alright." Ziva said. "I will wait."

Abby made good time with determining which package belonged to whom, and after a trip down to Autopsy to give presents to Ducky and Palmer, she and Ziva headed up to Jenny's office. They were met by Cynthia the secretary, who was pleasantly surprised to learn that Abby and Ziva had remembered her in their souvenir list. She even opened the door for them to let them in to the director's office before sitting down to examine her new gifts.

Jenny welcomed her friends in to her office, and when she saw they came bearing gifts, she took them and set them on her coffee table, next to the souvenirs that she'd bought for her friends during her own vacation. While this was happening, Abby fussed over Ziva, making sure she had ample room to prop up her damaged leg on the table. When she was confident that Ziva would be fine, she sat beside her on the couch, and Jenny sat on Ziva's other side.

"So," she began. "Did you two have a good vacation?"

Abby nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, yes. Tim and Ruby met my New Orleans family, and some other things happened, too. I'll share, but I want to hear how yours and Ziva's holidays went, first."

Recognizing her cue, Ziva said, "Quite a lot happened, besides tripping at the airport and spraining my ankle. One such thing that happened is this."

She held out the hand with her engagement ring. Jenny already knew about it and the baby because Tony had told her and Gibbs, but Abby hadn't a clue yet. When she realized what she was looking at, she let out a squeal of delight and gave her friend a quick hug.

"Oh, Ziva, this is really great! Congrats to you and Tony!"

"Thank you, Abby."

Ziva looked to Jenny.

"How much did Tony tell you yesterday?"

"Enough that in turn, Jethro and I told him about a new addition to The Rules that we decided on."

Ziva nodded. "Tony told me of Rule 51."

Abby worked her way back into the conversation. "How does it go?"

"That sometimes, you are wrong. It applies to all of The Rules, especially Number Twelve."

"And we all know exactly which one that is…"

Jenny chimed in, "Then it'll make you happy to know that we're throwing that one out."

Abby sat up straight. "That _does_ make me happy. I bet Gibbs is already having this chat with Tim."

"I wouldn't be surprised."

Ziva turned to Abby again. "I found out something else before we left DC, and I told Tony on our first day in Hawaii."

"Don't leave me hanging, now."

"I told Tony that he and I are to become parents."

Now Abby became so happy that she looked like she was going to cry with happiness. "Really, Ziva? How far along are you?"

"Just five weeks, but nobody outside the team knows. Tony does not have the willpower to keep this from Tim because they behave like brothers, and I imagine that Ducky and Palmer will find out by noon."

"Hey, shouldn't Gibbs be on that list, too?"

Jenny answered this. "Actually, he and I already knew about all this yesterday. We ran into Tony and Ziva at the hospital."

"Why were you guys _there?"_

Now Jenny was bashful. "I had a doctor's appointment to check on the baby, and we got quite a surprise: there was another baby hiding in there all along!"

It took Abby and Ziva a moment to realize what she was getting at, but when they did, they both lit up.

"Oh, Jen—this is wonderful! Come closer!"

Jenny did, and they hugged. However, when Abby hugged Jenny, she quickly recoiled in surprise. Jenny just laughed and blew out a breath in surprise as she sat back.

"What is happening?" Ziva asked, perplexed.

Jenny glided a hand over her middle. "The kids are kicking at the same time—they just learned that trick last night."

"Oh, I remember when Sarai kicked me. She was… what's the word?"

"Nocturnal."

Ziva nodded and pointed to her middle. "Sarai did kick me a lot, but she was always very gentle. Her little sister or brother has made me sick often…"

"Maybe it's a boy." Jenny suggested.

Curious, Abby asked, "Just how close _did_ you two get, back in Israel?"

"Closed enough that Ziva named me as her daughter's godmother, and close enough that Sarai called me dodah—it means 'auntie,' or something close to that. Ziva's parents also took care of me at their farmhouse after we escaped our imprisonment in Kabul." Jenny paused, thinking back on the old memories. "And I never met Ari, but I did know Tali before she died. She helped Ziva's mother nurse me back to health."

"Weren't you hurt in Kabul?" Abby asked, recalling Jenny's recount of that particular adventure to the team.

Jenny shivered. "I was, and I went on the run with Ziva even though I could barely walk; the captors liked to beat me for fun, most days. Eli and Rivka took care of me, even when I physically couldn't get out of bed. They did it without a second thought because they saw how important I am to Ziva."

Abby smiled. "Even though bad things happened, the end of that story is really sweet."

"It is."Jenny agreed. "It was a hard time then, but still, some of the best memories of my life and even some of the best lessons came out of the recovery process."

Also remembering back, Ziva added, "Ima adored you, and so did Tali. Abba still does."

Abby became so wrapped up in learning about the bond between the people beside her that she didn't realize for a moment that Jenny was talking to her.

"Sorry, what?" Abby said.

Jenny chuckled. "I asked if anything happened to _you_ over vacation."

Abby touched a hand to her own middle, smiling when she felt small movements under her palm. "This little guy or doll also learned how to kick, but this happened, too."

She showed her friends her new piece of hardware.

"Tim proposed to me, and this is my mom's engagement ring."

Ziva congratulated her, and so did Jenny, but it was clear that Jenny's mind was other places again.

"What are you thinking?" Ziva asked her.

Abby spoke, too, but her voice was timid and apprehensive. "Are you… _jealous_ of us?"

"I'm not jealous, no," (Abby and Ziva both relaxed) "Because I love my life and the family that Jethro and I have created here and at home, but I'm just sad—marriage is the one thing we can't agree on."

"Because you want it, but he doesn't?"

Jenny sighed. "Not per se."

"Then why? What did he say?"

"Neither yes nor no. _Maybe_ was literally the last word about it."

Ziva inquired, "He is the love of your life, yes?"

"One hundred percent."

Abby factored in her two cents, very confident. "It'll happen. Gibbs takes his time, but you know that he'd move mountains for you if you asked him to."

Ziva patted Jenny's cheek in a comforting way. "Yi'heye be'seder."

Jenny felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulder at these words. "Thank you, Ziva."

Beside them, Abby gave a pointed cough. "Translate?"

"She told me that everything will be okay."

"Do you believe it?"

Jenny nodded. "I do. I think all I needed was a chat with you two."

Pleased that Jenny was back to being cheerful, Abby began distributing presents.

"I came back with souvenirs from New Orleans, and Ziva are on my recipient list. Ziva brought back presents for you and I from Hawaii. Those are here, too."

Jenny perked up even more. "Jethro and I went home to see his father, and we also came back with gifts."

Abby knew Ziva's presents to give away were the ones in brown paper, while her own were wrapped decorative cloths that doubled as maps of New Orleans. Jenny's presents were wrapped in gingham paper and secured with twine.

In the end, Abby ended up with a painting of wild Mustang horses from Jenny, and a beautiful Hawaiian sarong dress from Ziva.

 _DING!_

Abby's phone chimed at her with a new text. It was from Tony.

 _You, Ziva & the director need to come to the catwalk, pronto_

Abby quickly pocketed her phone and stood.

"That was from Tony." she said. "He wants all three of us to go to the catwalk. Pronto is the word."

It took a little bit longer on Jenny's account, but soon, the trio was out on the catwalk, and overlooking the bullpen together.

Tony was there, waving up at them, and so were Sarah and Clementine.


	24. A Quick Visit

Jenny and Ziva immediately looked at Abby, hands on their hips.

Abby chose to play dumb. "What?"

"Don't you _'What?'_ us." Jenny sassed.

"Does this fall under the columns of 'other things' that happened in Louisiana?" Ziva wanted to know. "And what is with the dog?"

Abby sighed. "I don't know why they're here, but come on. Let's go."

The trio was down in the bullpen very quickly.

"What brings you guys all the way out here?"

"Tim left his wallet at home, but we just brought it for him and put it on his desk," explained Sarah. "And you left your lunch. Here."

Sarah handed her a tin lunchbox that bore a warning about not feeding zombies. Abby thanked her, and turned then turned to her friends.

"You guys remember Sarah McGee, right?"

"It's hard to forget someone who was framed for murder for awhile." Jenny quipped, snickering when Clementine's eyes widened in surprise.

Deciding to be the mature one, Ziva shook the younger woman's hand. "It is lovely to see you again, Sarah, and under normal circumstances."

"Likewise."

She gave Ziva a smile, and then gave her companion a gentle nudge forward.

"Everybody, this is Abby's youngest sister, Clementine. Clem, these are Director Jennifer Shepard, and Officer Ziva David."

Clementine shook hands with Jenny first. "It's really nice to meet you, Director Shepard."

"Right back at you, Clementine. I've heard some stories about you and your siblings, here and there."

"Nothing too crazy, I hope," Clementine gave a nervous laugh and then turned cheeky. "But I do have plenty on Abby!"

"You do _not!"_ Abby protested, stomping one foot.

Jenny laughed. "My door is always open, Clementine, for old stories, or anything else. And around here, you can call me director, or Jenny—whichever you like."

"I'll remember that."

Clementine shifted her attention to Ziva, also shaking hands with her.

"I've also heard stories about you, too." she enthused, and then shuffled her feet. "Besides English, I speak Cajun French and American Sign Language, but I'm really interested in learning Hebrew, actually."

Ziva winked. "Good thing I am fluent in the language, and from Israel—I will teach you."

"Really?"

"Yes. I will even give you my card before you and Sarah go."

"Okay, cool! Thanks!"

The officer returned her thanks and then motioned towards the dog at Clementine's feet. Today, Scout had on a kerchief stating that she was a working dog, and that she shouldn't be touched. She also had on a vest, with pockets that Ziva supposed held important things. All of Scout's gear had clear labels that discouraged touching, what her job was, and what kind of issues she tackled. The cherry on top was a long leash decorated with stop signs and a head halter Clementine used when out in public with her. Scout looked very professional.

The little dog sat politely beside her mistress, but began wagging her tail when she saw Ziva had noticed her.

"Who is this?" asked Ziva.

"This is my dog, Scout." Clementine explained. "She is my service dog because I have hearing aids and an anxiety disorder. She just turned one."

"Scout is beautiful."

Clementine beamed, like a proud mother. "Thanks!"

Jenny chimed in, "And Scout is welcome in the building, so long as she stays on the leash."

Clementine took this in stride and nodded. "Thank you, director."

Sarah looked around the bullpen, doing a headcount. "Where are Tim and Special Agent Gibbs?"

"That's a good question." Jenny realized. "And where are Ducky and Palmer, I wonder? They have a way of showing up by themselves when this many of us are up here."

On the other side of the room, the elevator door open, and Gibbs, Ducky, and Palmer piled out and headed over to them.

Gibbs turned to his companions and said, "Was I right, or was I right?"

Ducky and Palmer sighed, and they each handed him a five dollar bill. Pleased with himself, Gibbs pocketed the money.

At the director's raised eyebrows, Ducky, quickly supplied, "Jethro bet Mister Palmer and I five dollars apiece that you all would be up here if we rode in the elevator with him."

Abby did a new headcount. "We're still down a duckling."

Almost immediately, McGee entered the bullpen from the outer hallway. Upon seeing most of his family assembled in his workspace, he became puzzled, but he strolled over, nonetheless.

Gleefully, Tony pointed and said, "Duckling ahoy!"

McGee rolled his eyes. "What's happening? All I did was run something over to HR…"

"You and Abby left some important things at home, since Ruby was raising holy hell about being away from Clem and me. We decided to bring the things here for you two." Sarah said. "You left your wallet, so I put it on your desk."

"Hey, that's really nice of you, Sarah. Thanks. Have you introduced Clementine and Scout to everyone?"

"Well, Tony met us getting off the elevator, and then Abby showed up with the director and Ziva."

"She didn't get to everyone else," Clementine added. "Although I'm sure these are the nonfiction counterparts of the characters in Deep Six?"

McGee hung his head and groaned at the mention of his book. "You _had_ to bring _that_ up."

Tony chortled. "She's got you, McWriter."

Ziva chose to be the mature one and pointed everyone out to Clementine in turn.

"These, my friend, are Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Doctor Donald Mallard, and his assistant, Jimmy Palmer." Ziva turned to the men. "I'm sure you all remember McGee's sister, Sarah, but her companions are Abby's youngest sister, Clementine Sciuto, and Scout, the service dog. _She_ belongs to Clementine."

The men greeted her, and Palmer asked, "Were you and Sarah in Louisiana before this?"

"We were, but we moved up here to work at a journalist agency in town that I'm part of."

"Where are you staying?"

"With Abby and Tim. They're helping us out with something."

Palmer was very curious now. "They are?"

Knowing that she was amongst family, and friends that would in time become her family, Sarah pointed to her middle.

"This little one won't be here until the springtime, but they, Clementine, Scout, and I need a place to go for a bit. The alternative would be moving in with my parents, and we don't want that."

Gibbs patted Sarah's shoulder, in a fatherly, affectionate way. "If you or Clementine ever need anything, our door is always open."

Sarah was about to thank him when McGee suddenly let out a frustrated cry: he'd sat down at his desk to check his email, but when he'd set his fingers on the home row on his keyboard, it was to find eight of his ten digits immediately stuck fast. Only his thumbs were free.

"Super glue, Tony? _Again?"_ he cried in exasperation as Clementine and Sophia began howling with laugher. "Really? _Come on!_ It isn't even _twelve_ yet!"

Tony could barely keep it together, for laughing so hard. "Try not to touch the space bar, Probie!"

Having had enough, Gibbs ambled back to his desk, muttering, "How is this my life?"

Abby turned to the director and opened her mouth to ask a question, but Jenny beat her to the quick.

"Yes, Abby, you may give the girls a tour. Just stay out of MTAC, and help your guy out first."

"Thanks, director!" Abby chirped before scurrying away to McGee's desk where a small knot of people had gathered.

Jenny laughed and surveyed the bullpen.

At his desk, Gibbs was reading a case file and actively ignoring McGee's discomfort and humiliation. A few feet away, Ducky and Palmer were having a chat with Tony about vacationing in Hawaii. Meanwhile, Abby, Ziva, Sarah, and Clementine were crowded around McGee's desk. Ziva and Clementine were keeping him as calm as they could while Abby and Sarah worked together to disconnect the keyboard from the monitor so they could safely relocate him to the lab. Even Scout was watching, safe in her mistresses' arms, and Jenny could see that the little dog's whole backside and tail wagging in amusement. If the dog was human, she would probably have the giggles.

In her womb, Jenny could feel the babies tumbling around and stretching. Her stomach also rumbled audibly.

"Hang on, babies. We'll find something to eat in a minute." she said softly.

Jenny surveyed the bullpen again, her heart swelling with more love than usual for the people before her.

Gibbs was her lover, one of her best friends, and her partner in crime. He was also the father of her children, and hopefully in the near future, her husband.

Abby was as close as a sister, and reminded her of the one she'd lost long ago, while still a child. Ziva, for everything they'd been through together, was part of her soul, and they were inseparable that way; Jenny had no other means to describe the bond. Together, though, she, Abby, and Ziva had a sisterhood that she loved very much.

Tony and McGee were the closest she'd ever had to sons before, and even though they bothered each other on a daily basis, they also came through for her in a pinch. Every time.

Ducky was like a dear old uncle, full of wonderful, fun stories, and old memories that he loved to share. She loved to listen. He was also her good conscience, a trait that she greatly valued in the old man.

Jimmy was like a weird cousin, who was intelligent, but had an unfortunate habit of putting his foot in his mouth on occasion. But for every time he did something like that, he could always make her laugh, and he also had a brilliant mind when it came to science and the human body. So Jenny didn't mind him.

She only knew Sarah from what little interactions they'd had the last time the girl had been in the neighborhood. But in spite of that, Jenny did appreciate Sarah's quick wit, sarcasm, and exceptionally high intelligence. As for Clementine, Jenny was already looking forward to getting to know her.

This was her family, and she loved each and every one of them—old and new, just alike.

She wouldn't change a thing.


	25. The Invitation

It was mid-January before life at NCIS took a detour from 'life as usual.'

Abby was twenty-two weeks pregnant now, and showing for it. She and McGee still didn't know the baby's gender yet, but they were still holding steadfast to the belief that Rubyjane was getting a sister. Plus, Abby had begun stockpiling little girl things.

As for McGee, he had very easily slipped into the role of 'family man,' and he'd found that he quite liked it. In just over a month, he'd gone from bachelor to fiancé, father/father-to-be, and uncle. Plus, when he married Abby, he would be Clementine's brother-in-law. McGee didn't even mind that he was drowning in estrogen, though, because he had a family of his own, and he was going to marry his best friend. He had never been more at peace in his life.

Speaking of peace, Rubyjane had finally adjusted to her new life, with two parents who adored her, and plenty of other adults who doted on her and loved to teach her things. She was a different kid now, and she was better for it.

Clementine and Sarah had settled into their new lives, too. They had also settled well into their new jobs at the local journalism agency, and were always working on something new. Privately, Abby and McGee still wondered who the father of Sarah's baby was, but since she'd made it clear that the subject was taboo, they didn't ask.

Jenny was a week behind Abby, although looking much further along because she was carrying twins. But she was proud, and she owned it. Oftentimes, Gibbs could be seen bringing food up Jenny at lunchtimes because of the irradiation of Rule 12, and the addition of Rule 51—sometimes, you're wrong.

And last, but not least, made Ziva. She was only eight weeks along in her own pregnancy, and everything was right on track, but the only hang-up she had was that she was on desk duty yet until her ankle healed.

Maybe that's why, one very cold, very dreary morning, she noticed something a little unusual in her daily mail when it was delivered.

* * *

"Did anyone else receive one of these ridiculously lavish event invitations?"

She held up what was clearly a fancy event invitation. It had a black backdrop, and all the information was in gold lettering.

All around her, Gibbs, Tony, and McGee held up identical invitations.

"Well, that answers that." came a new voice.

They all jumped they saw the director enter the bullpen, for none of them had heard the elevator door ding. She had her own invitation in-hand.

No sooner had she arrived than so had Abby, Ducky, and Palmer, from the stairs. Each of them had invitations, too.

"It looks like we all have the same event invitations." Abby said, as they all figured it out. "Ducky, Palmer, and I have read ours, but we just came up here to see if anyone else knew what was happening."

Nearby, Jenny put on her reading glasses and read aloud from her own invitation.

"It says, 'John and Ellis McGee cordially request your company at the Under The Big Top Birthday Gala And Auction at six o'clock on Friday, January twentieth, at The Golden Circus Hotel and Spa. All proceeds go to the Saint Raphael Children's Hospital.' Well, that's nice. There's also RSVP information, something about dress requirement, and _even_ a line about free childcare being provided. The admission price iis one toy, for a Toys For Tots drive that they're doing."

Tony examined his invitation. "Hey, at the bottom of mine, it says to bring something suitable for a twelve-year-old boy."

Ziva sighed, knowing she had her work cut out for her, keeping Tony from going down a rabbit trail while shopping. "My invitation requires that I bring something for a two-year-old girl. That shall be easy enough, but what do 'Toys For Tots,' and 'Under The Big Top' mean?"

"Tony will explain later." Gibbs told her. "What _I_ want to know is how the elder McGees figured out where we all work."

They all turned back to McGee. The man in question laughed nervously and spat out the first thing he could think of.

"Sarah talks!"

"Yeah, uh-huh." Tony deadpanned, quite unconvinced.

"They read your book, more like." Ducky quipped.

"Ugh." Palmer stomped his foot as he remembered his fictional counterpart from Deep Six, Pimmy Jalmer. "Now I have to go cleanse my soul before I meet your parents!"

"So you're coming?" McGee said in surprise.

"Of course—I don't want to miss a party, and you're like my brother. I'll always show up for you."

"Wow, Jimmy. Thanks."

Ducky spoke in a tone of wrapping things up. "We'll all show up for you, dear boy, and I, for one, do love a good auction."

At this, the others all made similar statements of agreement and began to disperse. Abby, meanwhile, sat on the inside edge of McGee's desk and looked at him. He was deep in thought.

"What are you thinking?" she asked him.

He looked up at her from his chair. "Usually, my mom has a gala for some foundation any friend of hers—never anything appealing, or as heartfelt as a children's hospital."

"Maybe your parents have had a change of heart." Abby suggested.

"Yeah, I hope so." McGee sighed. "They're already going to give Sarah drama for not telling them about her pregnancy, and that she's gone from Sarah McGee to Sarah Cartwright."

It was true: in an effort to reinvent herself, and focus more on her journalistic journey, Sarah had officially dropped the last name she'd been born with, and picked something new. As of a week ago, she was now officially Sarah Louise Cartwright.

"You should be flattered—she told me that she got the idea for a new name from you taking Thom E. Gemcity as your pseudonym. She just couldn't go down your _exact_ route because she doesn't have enough letters to make herself a name the way you did. Sarah looks up to you."

McGee grinned, pleased. "That makes me happy, Abs. Thanks."

"You're welcome." Abby patted her fiancé's shoulder. "And yes, I do consider myself a modern woman in most ways, but you won't catch me changing my name to something like Abigail Aria McSciuto."

 _"_ _McScuito?"_

"Mhm." Abby stood and stretched. "McGee and Sciuto together equals McSciuto, but McGee makes more sense. Oof."

Her hands were plastered to one corner of her middle, and she was prodding it gently and methodically. When she saw McGee watching her, she laughed.

"That was a 'hurry up and start walking again' kick—which I will. See you later."

"Okay. See you."

Abby stopped by Ziva's desk next.

"Hello, Abby!" the officer chirped.

"Remember how I told you I'd show you what tofu was the next time I had some?"

"Yes."

Abby made a sweeping motion towards the elevator. "Today is your lucky day because I have tofu, and _two_ forks."

The younger woman was up, and on her crutches very quickly. "Let us go."

At his desk, Tony chuckled. "I've never seen someone so eager for tofu."

Gibbs lobbed a paper ball at him. "No uterus, no opinion."

And he would know—Jenny regularly craved crunchy peanut butter. Mashed potatoes, too. Sometimes both, together.

"Okay, boss. Hey, is there a Rule that says you're always right?"

Gibbs winked. "That should just be a given, DiNozzo."

At his own desk, McGee laughed to himself. He loved his life, and everyone in it. He also couldn't ask for anything else.

Except maybe to not get a case that would keep them from going to the gala.


	26. Gala Night

Finally, the night of the gala had arrived.

The whole NCIS team was at the hotel where it was being held, in the main lobby. The whole area was packed with nicely-dressed people, event officials, and the odd caterer or two, making trips between the banquet hall and the kitchen. Everything about the atmosphere looked fun and inviting, yet the team was off to the side.

"What are we waiting for, again?" Jenny asked.

McGee sighed, though only because he was feeling nervous. "Our parents. I told them to meet us over here, so Sarah and I can introduce you all, but they're probably still working the room."

Gibbs looked around. "Where are Ziva and Ruby?"

"Over there."

McGee pointed to a big picture window, a little ways away from them. Adamant about not using the wheelchair that she used at home or around the office, a pair of crutches could be seen leaning against the wall beside them. Ziva was dressed up, and ready for a good time, and Rubyjane sat beside her.

Rubyjane was dressed for a party, and she was fully aware of what was happening, and that she was going to meet her grandparents who were local. She was also nervous. McGee had given her a pep talk, but for good luck, Sarah had tied her pigtails off with bumblebee decorations, and Clementine had surprised her with a bumblebee bracelet.

Rubyjane was appreciative of the pep talk, and of the new bumblebee items, but she still had the jitters. Noticing, Ziva sat with her, just to keep her company.

"Hey," Tony said suddenly when he noticed a new person approaching the pair at the window. "Who's that?"

Jenny's eyes widened in surprise. "That's Ziva's father. I haven't seen him in quite some time—did you know he was going to here tonight?"

Immediately, Tony found himself being stared at by Jenny, Gibbs, McGee, Abby, Ducky, Palmer, Sarah, and Clementine. Even Scout was watching.

Tony took a few steps back, nervous. _"Technically,_ Ziva told me while we were in Hawaii that Eli was coming to DC in January, but she just didn't say when."

Palmer stepped in. "Let's watch."

Back at the window, Ziva felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning, she had quite a start when she turned around.

"Abba?!"

The legendary Eli David was there, standing before his daughter, dressed in his finest suit, shoes, and yarmulke. There was nothing but joy on his face at the sight of Ziva, even if she was befuddled.

"Are you surprised?" he asked when thy'd hugged.

"Very." Ziva quickly moved to her crutches. "Was this what you meant by coming to town in January?"

"Yes, but also no. Originally, I was just to be here for a conference, and to spend time with you."

"But…?"

"I then heard about this event 'through the grapevine,' as they say, and I made a donation in Sarai's name."

Ziva's heart and bottom lip both wobbled at the mention of her first child. "Oh, abba, thank you. You did not have to."

"But I wanted to, and this _is_ the town where you have laid your roots down, is it not? Or have I been reading your emails incorrectly?"

Ziva laughed. "You have not been."

Eli motioned towards Rubyjane, who was now beside Ziva, and watching shyly.

"Who is this?" Eli asked. "Have you adopted a child?"

"No, I have not." Ziva stroked her little companion's hair affectionately. "Say hello to my goddaughter, Rubyjane Lily."

Eli stooped down to Rubyjane's level and extended a hand. "Shalom, little one. I am Ziva's papa."

Rubyjane's mouth dropped open in surprise, but she recovered quickly, remembering her manners. She even shook Eli's hand.

"Shalom!" she mimicked. "You're from Israel, too?"

"Very good!" Eli praised. "It is very nice to meet you!"

Rubyjane just giggled and let go of Eli's hand; already she had been quite tickled by his charm. Eli found this amusing, because most people he met for the first time usually feared him to some degree.

Eli straightened up and spoke to his daughter again. "How did you hurt yourself?"

"I tripped."

"Come again?" The Ziva that Eli had raised was by no means clumsy.

"It is the truth. Upon return from Hawaii with Tony, I tripped over a luggage trolley at the airport, and I sprained my ankle."

Eli digested this and said, "Tony looked after you, yes?"

With a very straight face because she didn't want to give her news away, Ziva responded, "He still is, abba."

"Where is he?"

Ziva pointed to where everyone was failing to be discreet, her fiancé chief among them.

"Of course you already know Jenny, but come—let me introduce you to the rest of my new family."

Eli handed his daughter her crutches, and with a great deal of self-restraint, he didn't fret over her like an anxious mother hen while Ziva hobbled along. Cheerfully oblivious, Rubyjane skipped ahead.

Jenny greeted Eli first, quite joyfully, because of the close bond she had with the Davids. He was just as happy to see her, but was quite surprised to see that she was pregnant.

"You are expecting a child, Jennifer?"

She beamed and nodded. "Twins, actually, and I'm engaged, too!"

"Mazel tov, my dear. Where is your fiancé?"

Jenny looped an arm around one of Gibbs' and pulled him into view.

"He's right here!"

Jenny turned to Gibbs.

"Introduce yourself; he's very special to me me."

Everyone, but the team in particular, watched the two men size each other up. They had never met, but because of Ziva, knew plenty about each other. Eli also wasn't likely to forget in a hurry that because of the man in front of him, one of his children was dead, while the other—the assassin—served at Gibbs' right hand.

Nevertheless, Eli was not a sore loser, and chose to be the bigger man.

He extended a hand. "Shalom, Gibbs. Please call me Eli."

Gibbs shook the older man's hand. "Okay, Eli. It's good to meet you—and please call me Jethro."

Eli returned the handshake and nodded. "Shall we let bygones be bygones, and be friends?"

"Alright." Gibbs agreed, secretly relieved because this first meeting could have gone far worse. "Friends."

They shook hands again, and then Eli turned to Ziva.

"Will you introduce me to everyone else now?"

"Yes. Prepare yourself." Ziva pointed to everyone in turn as she indicated them. "We have Ruby's parents, Timothy McGee and Abigail Sciuto, Doctor Donald Mallard and his assistant, Jimmy Palmer, and McGee's sister, Sarah, and Abby's youngest sister, Clementine."

Eli nodded politely around at everyone, and then spotted Scout. The canine was dressed in her work uniform, but was wearing a festive kerchief around her collar that was cut from the same cloth as Clementine's dress.

"The dog is yours?" he asked Clementine.

"Uh-huh. She's my service dog." explained Clementine. "She's called Scout."

"She is beautiful."

"Thank you."

Ziva caught her father's attention by calling to him. "Abba, will you come here, please?"

Eli looked around to see that Ziva had moved stand beside a man whom he realized through the process of elimination was Tony. He had moved to the back of the group, nervous.

"H-hello." he stuttered as they shook hands. "It's nice to meet you, sir."

Eli shook Tony's hand. "There is no need to be nervous. You are the one who has been looking after my daughter, yes?"

Tony nodded quickly. "Yes. She's my best friend."

Because she knew Tony as well as she did, Ziva just knew that he was going to stall as long as he could, so as to avoid telling Eli about the true nature of their relationship. So she ripped the band-aid off, herself.

"Abba, Tony is the love of my life, as ima was yours."

Eli arched an eyebrow. "Is he?"

"Yes, and two more things—we are engaged, and we are expecting a child next year."

Normally, most parents wouldn't take too kindly to having so much life-changing news about their child thrust upon them in one go, but Eli wasn't quite 'most parents.' With his wife, his only son, and his youngest daughter all dead from violence, his middle child was all he had left. Though he found Ziva challenging at times when it came to issues like allegiance and loyalty, Ziva was yet his blood. He would always be happy for her about this kind of thing.

He opened his mouth, to convey his congratulations, but he was cut off because of two new voices cutting through the hubbub.

"Tim?"

"Sarah?"

A finely dressed older couple was working their way towards the group, stopping to say hello to anyone who stopped them.

Nevertheless, McGee and Sarah both groaned in unison.

"What?" Abby said in surprise. "Are those…?"

The siblings nodded, and responded in unison. "Our parents."


	27. Abby And Ellis

Almost immediately, McGee and Sarah were pushed and shuffled to the front of the small crowd. It felt like they were going to be thrown to the wolves, but both siblings kept their cool as long as possible.

Somehow, without being too over-the-top, and in keeping with the 'under the big top' theme, John McGee was dressed as ringmaster, while Ellis McGee was in an outfit that of an aerial dancer. They also exuded power and respect, so their children put on their best poker faces as the interaction began.

Sarah felt hurt when her parents greeted McGee with hugs—albeit stiff ones—while all she got was arched eyebrows.

"What?" she protested. "I don't get a hug?"

"Not when you have something like murder attached to your name." said Ellis in a haughty tone.

"Mom! You know as well as I do that I was framed!"

Interjecting with an equally haughty tone, John said, "Yet, you still allowed yourself to fall party to circumstances that led you there, didn't you?"

Sarah was understandably affronted. "Why, I—"

Clementine intervened, stepping forward and holding out a hand. "Hi! I'm Clementine Sciuto, and I'm Sarah's partner!"

"You're her partner?" Ellis looked from her to Sarah. "Domestically?"

This earned her an eye-roll from Sarah, in addition to a clarification. "For what I hope is the _last_ time—I am as straight as a stick! What Clementine meant to say is that we're _work_ partners!"

Reserving judgement on Clementine, Ellis ignored the handshake while her husband spoke again, this time to their son.

"Tim, this is your NCIS family?"

McGee had to work very hard to not lose his cool at the mention of the word 'family,' but he nodded. "Yes, and almost everyone here has a fictional counterpart in my book."

"Introduce us, but actual names only, please."

"Of course."

McGee introduced everyone, but before he could get to Abby and Rubyjane, or even Eli, Ellis all but pounced on Sarah and Clementine again when a new thought occurred to her.

"How exactly did you two meet, anyway?"

"At my parents' house, in New Orleans!" Clementine explained. "She was doing an article on service animals, and since my parents and I each have one—"

Far-flung from being an animal lover, Ellis immediately took a step backwards when she noticed Scout, avoiding her like she carried the plague. Scout just sneezed so hard she fell over.

Seeing that things were beginning to spiral, Ziva made herself known and indicated to her father. She was nice enough to save a drowning friend.

"Allow me to introduce my father." she said. "This is Eli David, director of The Mossad Intelligence Agency, in Israel. He has made a donation on behalf of my little one, who passed away a few years ago. She was called Sarai."

The McGees were more impressed against their will than ever, so they expressed their condolences to Ziva about Sarai before John spoke to Eli, curious.

"Thank you for your donation." he said. "How did you hear about this event?"

"We have a mutual friend—Fleet Admiral Visser. I was meeting with him today, and he told me that this was happening. He then told me that his wife was unable to attend, and gave me her invitation." Eli elaborated. "Is he here?"

"Yes, and any friend of the Fleet Admiral's is a new friend of mine and Ellis'. Would you like to come inside?"

"I would, but by my count, there are still two more people whom have yet to be introduced to you and your wife."

Those two people were Abby and Rubyjane, although only on account of McGee stalling about it. But he took the initiative now.

"Mom, dad," he said to his parents as he put a hand around Abby's waist. "This is Abby Sciuto. She's Clementine's older sister, and we work together at NCIS."

McGee touched a hand to the top of Rubyjane's head as she pressed close to him.

"This is one of our children, Rubyjane Lily."

There was a beat of silence as McGee's parents caught the subtlety and worked it out.

"Did you say 'one of'?" Ellis finally asked. "Are you saying that the two of you have an additional child, besides Rubyjane? How old is she?"

Right on cue, the toddler piped up, "I'm three!"

Emboldened by her daughter's fearlessness, Abby spoke, too. "Our _other_ child is right here!"

Using both hands, Abby made a show of framing her baby bump. It was obscured by the angle of her dress, but when she gave it attention, it was big, and impossible to ignore. While doing this, though, she 'accidentally on purpose' showed off her engagement ring, too.

Like Ziva, she believed in ripping the band-aid off, too.

"And, we're engaged!"

Again, there was a stunned silence from the elder McGees as they digested this news, too. While they didn't appear angry, they weren't exactly congratulatory, either.

When Ellis McGee spoke, she gave a forced smile. "You let us know if you need anything, alright, dear?"

Abby was taken aback because she'd been expecting anything else, but she cut her losses. "I will. Thank you."

Rubyjane broke the mounting tension by tugging McGee's tuxedo jacket sleeve.

"Daddy?" she asked.

McGee scooped her up. "What are you thinking, RJ?"

"I thought I was going to go play…"

"You are totally right." McGee hugged her. "Let's go find the play room."

This seemed to unfreeze all the tension, and everyone began heading towards the main event room as McGee and Rubyjane went in the opposite direction.

Meanwhile, Sarah caught up to Abby. After putting their Toys For Tots purchases into a donation bin and seeing to it that their names were crossed off an admission list, Sarah pulled Abby aside, a little ways away from the entrance.

"I'm sorry about my mom." she said.

Abby shrugged. "The way that you and Tim put it, I was expecting worse."

"Well… just be careful if she gets you alone."

Abby heeded Sarah's words, and about forty-five minutes into being at the party, and just before the auction started, she separated herself away from her family. It was very strategic, at a large window, out of the way. She wanted to see what Ellis would do.

The woman in question came to stand beside Abby, and when she spoke, it was with zero preamble.

"In Timothy's book, which character is your fictional counterpart? He's _clearly_ McGregor, but I don't know which one you're supposed to be—Lisa, or Amy."

Abby laughed softly. "Amy Sutton is the one based on me."

"Just how much?"

Now Abby blushed. "Just about all of it."

Ellis was unabashed. "Then I take it that the signing is also you?"

"Yes."

"Who in your life is deaf, or hard of hearing?"

"Both of my parents, an aunt, Rubyjane, and Clementine." Abby counted them off on her fingers. "The girls have hearing aids, and they've been through speech therapy—Ruby still has it, but not as much. My parents and my aunt don't have hearing devices, though."

"Do they speak, or lip read?"

"Yes, but my aunt has never once realized that she's ridiculously loud."

Ellis indicated Abby's middle. "Will the little one be different?"

"No."

Suddenly, Abby let out a puff of air. The baby had woken up from a nap, and was now stretching and turning over. Abby began tracking the baby's movements with both hands, hoping that if she provoked him or her enough, she could illicit hiccups—she was fast regretting this conversation because she was already foreseeing a possible bad turn. Leaving would be a good idea.

"Everything checks out fine, but so far as I know, any baby I carry isn't immediately predisposed to hearing problems."

"What do you mean?" Ellis wanted to know.

"My biological parents died in a car crash when I was a baby in Louisiana. The Sciutos adopted me a little while after that."

For the first time since meeting Abby, Ellis actually softened up... although it still sounded off. "I'm sorry, Abby. I couldn't imagine."

Ellis' tone raised a red flag for Abby—although she couldn't place why—so she took the comment in stride and said something else.

"I'm thankful every day that my parents met, fell in love, and had me, because I love my life, and I love _being_ alive. I'm also thankful that the Sciutos wanted me, and chose me. Because they did, they fostered my love for science, which turned into me becoming a scientist with triple degrees. That led to me getting a job at NCIS… and to Tim."

"I'm asking this because he's my only son, but how long have you loved him?"

"Since the day we met." Abby said seriously. "I know he's talked about us being together before."

Ellis arched an eyebrow. "He also said that things ended."

"Only because we didn't want things to get weird at work. We stayed friends."

"That's good. What does he make of your tattoos?"

Abby beamed. "Tim likes them all, and has never once been bothered."

With her next question, Ellis tried to have some tact. She knew—and not just through her firstborn's novel—that the people on the NCIS' Major Critical Response Team were _unique,_ to say the least, but she hadn't known what to expect of them in person.

She didn't know what to make of the fact that Abby was slowly but surely winning her over. But it definitely had something to do with Amy Sutton being her favorite Deep Six character. She just wish that she hadn't blown it by being so off-putting.

"Forgive me, Abby, but how old are you?"

"I'm thirty-eight," the scientist said honestly. "And yes, I do know how much younger Tim is than me. That's never been an issue."

Ellis made a humming noise. "Who is Rubyjane's father?"

"A man I was dating. It's a long story, and he's dead, but the moral is that Rubyjane is mine and Tim's now. He adopted her with me because we love each other, and Tim and Rubyjane are very close."

Now Ellis found herself choosing her words carefully. _"Are_ you Rubyjane's biological mother?"

"No. She's gone, too." Abby said. "She didn't even tell Ruby's father about Ruby until she showed up on his doorstep with her."

"Oh, my goodness. What happened to her?"

Abby sighed. "Mara was a drug addict, and she abandoned Ruby with her father. But then she was found dead a month letter, because she overdosed from drugs."

"What a shame." Ellis lamented. "Was Rubyjane's father good to her?"

"For the most part, no. Tim is the first father figure that Rubyjane has ever had, and he takes that _very_ seriously."

A gear whirred in Ellis' head. "So that means, then, that Rubyjane's full name is Rubyjane Lily McGee?"

"Bingo. She might not even remember her biological father when she's older."

"When is her birthday?"

"It was on Christmas, and we celebrated it at my parents' house."

Ellis took this information in stride, and then said, "From the way I understand things, Sarah was there?"

"Yes, but that's for her to tell." Abby said firmly. "Is there anything else you want to know? About the baby, perhaps?"

Fine, Ellis thought. Let's change lanes. "Is Timothy the father?"

"Not biologically, no—the baby's father is my ex."

"Meaning, he was Rubyjane's father, too?"

Abby stood tall as she tried not to let her feelings get the best of her. "Yes, but he didn't want me, or them. He was a Marine, and he chose the Marine Corps over us."

Ellis was hanging on to every word. "What happened?"

"He was getting ready to abandon Ruby with us, so he could go out on deployment."

"Why didn't he want to be her father anymore?"

"A lot of reasons, but mostly because he couldn't afford her, and he didn't want to be a dad in the first place." Abby elaborated. "He paid for her hearing aids, but that bled him dry. He felt that giving her to me was better than leaving her at a hospital, or something. I'm angry that he didn't love her—I mean, Ruby told us that last Christmas, she didn't get any presents at all."

"How awful." Ellis paused, thinking. "Is it alright if John and I bring her some presents?"

"Yes. Ruby would love that." Abby said. "She loves to play dress-up, but she _loves_ bumblebees. Also, she wears a four in toddler clothes, and her shoe size is nine."

"Alright. I'll remember that." she said, making a mental note to go shopping in the morning. "How was your relationship with Ruby's father, then?"

"On the outs, and we even broke up, just before he was killed. Tim fixed my broken heart, and Ruby's too."

"He's always been a good person that way." Ellis remarked.

"Tim is the absolute love of my life. It's only ever been him—I just had to go through all that heartache with Ruby's father to realize it."

Once again, Ellis took the information in stride. "Then I take it that Timothy loves the baby the same way that he loves Rubyjane?"

"Very much—he's going to adopt the baby, too." Abby shifted her weight from one foot to the other, this time choosing her own words carefully. "Why are you and your husband so hard on Sarah?"

Ellis tried not to heave too hard a sigh. "I'm a philanthropist, and John has been serving in the Navy, or has been associated with it in one capacity another since I've known him. Timothy works for NCIS, and went to Johns Hopkins and MIT. Sarah went to Waverley, and there's nothing bad about it, but it isn't an Ivy League or anything of the prestigious variety."

"Where did you go? What about John?"

"I went to The London School Of Economics and Political Science. John went to the Naval Academy." Ellis chirped proudly. "It was our hope for Sarah that she would go into Navy, or philanthropy, too, because those make good money."

"But she bucked the trend by going into journalism..."

"Yes, and then right before that whole mess about being framed, Sarah had a falling out with John and I."

This gave Abby a start. "About what? I never knew that."

Ellis had the decency to look ashamed of herself. "Sarah still comes into her money because we don't control it, but we told her that if she went for something like journalism without something substantial, then she could live somewhere else."

"And what did she say to that?"

"She left, and once all of her things were out, she wouldn't talk to us—at least not directly. After she graduated, she started her job, and began traveling."

Abby thought about Sarah's name change, and of the baby she was carrying. The news was going to give her parents a real turn. But it wasn't her news to share. So she'd continue to stay quiet on those fronts.

"She hasn't been entirely alone—she encountered my family in New Orleans when she was assigned to do an article about people with service animals. When they found out she didn't have a real place to go, they invited her to stay with them."

"Your parents took her in?"

"Uh-huh. She really needed it, and they rehabilitated her, in a way."

Ellis opened her mouth to say something, but Abby plowed on.

"Sarah is still hurt, and really in need of her parents—at least to talk to. What she's going through, I won't say." Abby began. "For better or for worse, Ellis, I'm part of the family now, and so are the baby and Rubyjane. It's a bummer that you're kind of cantankerous because I want to like you, but no mother should favor one kid over the other. That's just mean, and it isn't Sarah's fault that she wanted to do something different. I'll make you a deal, though."

"And what would that be?"

"If you and John at least try to apologize to Sarah, follow through with getting better acquainted with Rubyjane, and being polite to Clementine and Scout, then I'll work on making friends with you."

Ellis had, of course, realized that she was being difficult, but then she saw the fire in Abby's eyes. If she blew her off now, then the rest of the family would probably stop talking to her, too, and how would that be?

She extended a hand. "Alright. Deal."

They shook hands.

As this happened, Sarah came over, with Clementine and Sarah in tow. At the sight of her future sister-in-law shaking hands with her mother, she became wary.

"What's happening?" she asked.

Abby withdrew her hand from Ellis' and smiled at Sarah. "Nothing! What's up, you guys?"

"We were wondering if you want to come play some games with us." she said. "Clementine says you're good at those kinds of things."

"I am!" Abby turned to Ellis. "Are we good?"

"Yes. Go on and go."

Abby bobbed her head and left with the others, and headed off towards the area of the room dedicated to games.

This was going to be an interesting night.

She just didn't know _how_ interesting.

Not yet.


	28. Quite A Turn

**Don't worry, Adelled—more is coming.**

* * *

Abby was perplexed by how her chat with Ellis had gone. So was McGee, when she told him what had happened. He had seen the two of them talking, but chose not to intervene unless things went astray. When Abby left for the game corner, he decided that things were fine, so he continued with putting bids down for the auction—there were some things he wanted win for Abby, Sarah, Clementine.

He was at a loss for words to explain his mother's behavior, and not just because he hadn't seen her in awhile. Obviously, Ellis was the family matriarch, but Abby still had yet to talk to to John. Who knew what that could bring?

Nevertheless, McGee and Abby decided to have fun because they were at a party, and to not try to force any interactions with the elder McGees if they could help it.

It still didn't take long for John to catch up to Abby.

"May I join you?"

Abby was taking a break at a table, adjacent to the dance floor. She had been having fun, but she was still a growing a tiny human in her womb, so she had to remember to relax. She'd been lost in thought about how they were going to get Rubyjane to bed that night, when her father-in-law to-be had shown up out of seemingly nowhere.

"Sure." she indicated an empty chair, opposite her. "Have a seat."

He took it, and then asked, "Have you been having a good time, your arrival notwithstanding?"

Abby didn't hold back. "Aside from Ellis practically interrogating me about my family, yes."

"I'm sorry, Abby. It's her nature."

 _"Why?"_

John sighed. "Ellis' parents were ambassadors, and they travelled all over the world. Rather than take her with them, they put her in boarding school when she was five."

Abby wrinkled her nose. "How sad. Where was the school?"

"London, and except for the summers, she always lived with a host family during the holidays."

"Did she ever get over it?"

"Yes, but not for many, many years. Her candidness, and things of that matter, was learned at that place. It's no excuse for why she was rude tonight, but at least you know have a little insight to some of what makes her tick."

Abby nodded and then arched an eyebrow. "Did Ellis tell you what we talked about?"

"She did, and I don't blame you for calling her cantankerous, because she is."

"Do you support how candid she was with talking about kicking Sarah out?"

"Yes, because it was my idea, and it was about time that she left home, anyway. She's twenty, after all. Sarah just chose to be unnecessarily dramatic about it."

Abby worked extra hard not to lash out at John for this, because even before leaving New Orleans, she had seen Sarah through several crying jags. Why? Because she was still hurting from her parents rejecting her, and from being kicked out of her childhood home. It was a lot for any one person to handle. Abby spent a lot of time looking after her on those nights.

For all of that, though, she would always take Sarah's side first in all this.

"Okay, fine." Abby finally huffed. "Has Ellis told you about the bargain yet?"

"Yes." John confirmed. "She and I have to work on being nicer to Sarah, Clementine, and Scout the dog, and also on bringing belated birthday presents to Rubyjane before you'll work on making friends with her."

"Correct… and Ellis has agreed to those terms, but…"

"Yes?"

"She hasn't asked me anything that a mother-in-law is supposed to—like ask to see my ring, or ask when the baby is due."

Abby sounded hurt, so John decided to be the bigger person than his wife, and he put his best foot forward. "You are dressed very nicely tonight, Abby. May I see your ring?"

Nodding, Abby leaned forward and extended the hand that her engagement ring was on. John took it gently, and politely examined it for a moment before letting go of her hand so she could sit right again.

"It's very beautiful. Is it a family heirloom?"

"Yes. This was the ring that my father proposed to my mother with, and it was along the shores of Lake Ponchartrain. Other than the ocean, that's their favorite spot."

"How nice."

Abby regarded the ring again, watching it twinkle in the overhead lights.

It was a moment before she remembered that she had been in the middle of a conversation. She forced herself to look at him.

"Tim proposed to me without it first, on the spot, in my parents' kitchen. I was baking, and covered in flour, and he'd just come back from an outing headed by my dad. It was to get the Christmas tree." Abby continued. "He didn't get the ring until a little bit later that day, after a chat with my mom. I think Tim got a double dose of the 'What Are Your Intentions?' chat, but my parents just did it on the sly."

"Care to fill in any details?"

Abby did, and was happy to see that John McGee was where both of his children had inherited their honesty and sincerity from. He was truly interested in what she had to say, and that was a step in the right direction.

"That's a very heart-warming story." John told Abby when she was finished. "I proposed to Ellis at a restaurant, because our marriage was arranged by our parents. It was during dinner."

A question suddenly formed in Abby's brain, but she wasn't sure how to phrase it, and had to think about it. Much like McGee had the ability to do, John seemed to guess what she was thinking.

"Are you wondering if I love Ellis, even though our whole marriage was arranged?"

"Yes." Abby admitted.

"It's a fair thought, Abby, and yes, I do love her. I've loved her for all the decades we've known each other, and I'll be madly in love with Ellis until the day I die. She just forgot somewhere along the way that Sarah inherited both her traits for being stubborn and brusque, and then put her own spin on them."

"Is that why they don't get along?"

John sighed. "Unfortunately, yes. I promise that Ellis is a good person, but that it takes awhile to get to know her."

Abby just made a humming noise, but that was because the baby had chosen that exact moment to start kicking like crazy.

"Are you alright?" John asked when he noticed Abby start to massage her baby bump in a very strategic way.

"Oh, yes." Abby reassured him. "The baby is just feeling bored. I'm fine."

"As long as you're sure."

"I am."

"Then may I ask when your due date is?"

Abby grinned at this, because every time she said it, it felt closer and closer. "It's on the fifth of April."

John lit up, too. "That's the day that Sarah was born."

"Then it would be extra cool if this kid up on time. If he or she comes on the sixth, then that's a birthday shared with Auntie Clementine."

"Speaking of whom, how old is she?"

"Twenty-five, now. She's my parents' 'we really thought we were done' kid."

John laughed softly at Abby's phrasing. "Wow. And what are your parents' names? I figured out a long time ago that you're Amy Sutton in Deep Six, but her parents' names are probably not the same as the real-world counterparts that they belong to."

"Gold star." Abby commended. "My parents' names are Tyler and Gloria Sciuto."

"Are they deaf, or hard of hearing, like their fictional counterparts are?"

"And that's another gold star to you." Abby quipped. "Both of my parents are deaf. In total, I've got two sisters, and a brother. The only one of them who is different is Clementine."

"Why is that?"

"She inherited it, and I was adopted when I was a baby. My biological parents must've had perfectly fine hearing because I, myself, don't have any problems—except if I go to a Plastic Death concert, and accidentally forget earplugs…"

"I beg your pardon?" John said in a brief bout of perplexity. "Did you say _'Plastic Death'?!"_

Abby laughed nervously. "It's the name of my friend's band."

"I see. Will you tell me more about your sisters and brother?"

"My parents were told that they were going to have a hard time having children, so they adopted me. On the same day they brought me home, however, they found out that my first sister, Ellie Kate, was on the way."

"That's lovely."

"We think so, too. Everyone calls her EK for short, and we're just about the same age."

"And how is _her_ hearing?"

"It's actually pitch perfect."

"And your brother's?"

"Luca's is also pitch perfect. How's that for irony?"

"Quite amusing." John decided. "How close are Sarah and Clementine? Ellis told he that your sister is rehabilitating Sarah?"

"The girls are as thick as thieves, and they adore each other. Sarah is also close with my parents, but especially my dad."

"Good. We _do_ have feelings, even if Sarah challenges them, and it at least makes me happy to know that there are people out there who can pick up where we failed her."

Abby felt a pang of pity for the man across from her. For all the things that had gone wrong in John's and Ellis' relationship with Sarah, she wouldn't have labeled it as failed. But at least Sarah was close with Tyler now.

"For the record, Sarah has become close with both of my parents, and they really treat her like one of their kids. They do it without a second thought, and she loves them for it."

"Good." John repeated. "And what was that about rehabilitation? Did Sarah do something?"

"It's for her to tell." Abby squirmed as she felt the baby suddenly shift positions into such a way that things could go sideways very quickly, if not attended to. "Could you help me up, and point me in the direction of the nearest ladies room, please?"

John understood what was being conveyed, so he helped Abby up and showed her where she had to go.

When Abby finished taking care of business, she decided to go check on Rubyjane. In doing so, she walked straight past Sarah, who was having an argument with someone.

"What do you mean, what am _I_ doing here?" the young woman fumed. "This is my mother's birthday party!"

The man Sarah was facing was a little older than herself, and he was dressed in a full dress Marine Corps uniform, complete with his hat tucked under one arm. At present, he was looking affronted.

"You're one of _those_ McGees? Why didn't you ever say anything?"

Sarah promptly rolled her eyes. "To avoid having _this_ conversation, Ian—and you still haven't answered my question: how did you get an invitation to this event? I haven't seen you since I cut out of Baton Rogue!"

"The governor knows your parents," Ian explained. "And he procured invitations for the two of us."

His eyes flickered over Sarah's baby bump.

"And you're _sure_ that kid is mine?"

 _SLAP!_

Sarah hit him so hard, that she actually sent him staggering. _"Sure,_ I'm sure—"

"Yeah, right." Ian sneered, upon a quick recovery. "I saw the way the governor looked at you—"

 _SLAP!_ Sarah hit him a second time.

"That guy is a horny toad, and _not_ my type! On top of that, he's _married!"_ she hissed. _"I_ maybe be unmarried and carrying _your_ kid, and I may have even changed my last name, so as to disassociate from the one that I was born into, but I at least know not to start an _affair!"_

Sarah gave Ian her best death stare, but very abruptly, he caught sight of something over her shoulder. Palpable fear could be seen on his face, but to Sarah's utter befuddlement, Ian turned and ran the other way.

When she turned around to see what he was looking at, she felt her stomach turn a cartwheel: both of her parents were standing there, looking dumbstruck.

"How much did you hear?" she asked them timidly.

"We heard enough." John replied, any trace of his niceties he'd shown towards Abby now gone.

Ellis, however, was already on a different track. "You're _pregnant?"_

"I am."

"You are _not_ getting an abortion!"

Sarah immediately put her hands over middle, as she felt her heart break. "I don't _want_ one, and this kind of reaction is why I changed my last name!"

"To what?" John demanded.

"Cartwright! My name is now Sarah Louise Cartwright!"

Ellis pointed in the direction that Ian had gone. "Who was that, that hightailed it just now? The baby's father?"

"Yes, but—"

"And he's got on a dress uniform from the _Marine Corps,_ but he still ran away?"

Sarah tried again. "Yes, but—"

"Shame on him for that!"

"Mom—"

 _SLAP!_

Ellis McGee had struck her own daughter across the cheek.

"And shame on _you,"_ she snarled. "For getting yourself into this whole situation!"

Everything happened so fast that she had moved before John could even try to catch her. He was understandably upset with Sarah, but he wouldn't have struck her. That was going too far.

"Sarah?" he said cautiously.

She shook her head and took a step backwards. "Don't you dare."

"But you look like you're going into shock, or like you're going to be sick."

Indeed, such was were the feelings in Sarah's body, that it felt like her stomach had suddenly taken an express elevator from her middle, up to her throat.

"I think I _am_ going to be sick, dad."

This was the only warning Sarah gave before emptying the contents of her stomach on the floor.

Just after that, Abby rounded the corner and found them.


	29. Rehabilitations Again

Abby left the main party for the daycare room, to check on Rubyjane, mostly for her own peace of mind. Thankfully, the little girl was having a blast. This assuaged Abby's first-time mother woes about leaving her be, although that made way for new fears, altogether, such as finding an odd scene when she rounded one corner: both of the elder McGees glaring at Sarah, and Sarah standing dazed, a puddle of sick at her feet.

"What the hell?" Abby squawked.

Sarah looked like she was going to cry as she attempted to clean herself up. "Abby, my parents just found out about the baby, and my ex was here, but he _literally ran away!"_

"Because he recognized your parents?"

"Yes."

Abby began to steer her friend away from the sick. "Why were you ill?"

"Mom hit me."

The older woman was immediately both horrorstruck, and at a loss for words.

But then three voices joined the conversation, unified, and they voiced Abby's anger.

"She did _what?"_

McGee, Clementine, and Ziva had arrived, each seeking out Abby or Sarah. Scout stood beside her mistress, pressed close, because she could already sense the tension. Abby passed Sarah to the newcomers.

"Take care of her," she said. "And send for a custodian, or something. She vomited."

Each going into 'protective sister' mode, Ziva and Clementine both prepared to guide Sarah away.

"We will clean her up, Abby." Ziva said seriously. "Do not rush things on our account."

"Thank you."

When they left, McGee was livid. He, Abby, John, and Ellis had barely filed into a side room. The door was barely closed behind them before he went off.

"Why the hell would you hurt Sarah?" he demanded of his mother. "Never mind that she's pregnant, but you've never laid a hand to her or me before, so why start now?"

Ellis tried very hard not to stomp a foot. "Your sister has gone and embarrassed us in a number of ways, including sleeping around, not talking about it, and even changing her last name altogether!"

"What she does on her own time in the bedroom is hardly our concern, and what does it matter that she changed her name? _I_ changed _mine!"_

"But legally, you still go by the last name that you were born with!" Ellis protested.

John added, "Sarah changing her last name is a slap in the face because already didn't go into Navy or philanthropy, like we wanted her to. She didn't even get a degree in something that will take her places. How could someone so brilliant just throw it all away?"

Abby stepped in before the rest of the McGees could kill each other.

"Look: Tim and I are supporting Sarah through these hard times, and not just because she's family, or because my parents basically rehabilitated her while she was in Louisiana. We support Sarah because we _love_ her, and she is _genuinely_ our friend! Every choice she's made has been hers, and she's an adult, so it's not _our_ lives, or _yours_ because it's _hers."_

Ellis tried to speak. "Abby—"

"No!" she cried. "It's up to Sarah ultimately, but you can forget about being in my life, or the kids' lives, and I don't want you to come around to the house or work, either—family doesn't _do_ this to family! I'm going to look after Sarah since you _really_ fell down on that job, and I'm going to marry Tim, and we're all going to be happy!"

Abby turned to McGee, expectant. She had always been able to read him like a book, and he had always backed her up when she needed it. This was one of those times, but he'd never spoken against his parents before.

Still, he didn't hesitate.

"Abby's right—we are _done._ Family doesn't treat each other like this, and we've already been through enough drama in the past few months." he said. "Unless a miracle occurs, or Sarah says otherwise, neither of you are welcome in our lives, or to the wedding. We have to go."

Unashamed that his parents were gobsmacked, McGee took by the hand and them into the hallway, well away from where they'd just been. They stood together for a few moments, working on coming down from the high that their anger against the others had given them.

Finally, Abby hugged McGee.

"I love you," she told him. "And I'm proud of you for standing up to your parents. I know it couldn't have been easy to do."

"You're correct, but I'm glad that I did." McMcGee kissed Abby. "I'm also glad that you were by my side while I did."

"I always will be—for better, or for worse." she kissed him in return. "What's the plan? You get RJ, and I check on Sarah?"

"Sounds about right. See you soon."

They parted ways, and Abby already knew that they'd be spending the rest of the night waiting on Sarah, and comforting her until she went to sleep. But she didn't mind because Sarah was _her_ kid now, since she'd been disowned by the parents who had created her. Never, in a million years, when Abby had pictured having a family of her own, had she imagine that it would have had as many different kinds of people—or even animals—as it did now. She loved it, and she wouldn't change a single thing.

When she reached the part of the hallway where the bathroom was, she was quite surprised to see Gibbs, Tony, Ducky, and Palmer all standing together in an awkward gaggle. The entrance to the ladies' room was a few feet to the right.

"What the hell?" Abby asked in mild amusement, hands on her hips.

"We," Gibbs indicated himself and his family. "Don't quite know what's happening, but I followed Jenny here when she got an SOS text from Ziva. I'm waiting to see if anybody needs a lift, or something. DiNozzo, Ducky, and Palmer followed me… as they do."

"Well, it's good to know that one part of my family is ready to ask if someone says jump." Abby sighed sadly. "We just had a major falling-out with Tim's parents, and Sarah is at the epicenter. Her mother also _hit her_ because she was just so upset, and the whole thing made Sarah vomit."

Gibbs, Tony, Ducky, and Palmer all stared in incredulity, so Abby explained the situation as she knew it so far.

"Well, we won't stand in your way, Abigail," Ducky said when she had finished. "But at some point, please relay the message to Sarah that we are on her side."

"I will, Ducky. Thank you."

He bobbed his head in acknowledgement, so Abby made for the bathroom door. When she was inside, she found everyone in a lounge area. The actual toilets were in an area just beyond that. Sarah was on a couch island in the middle of a wraparound sofa, accompanied by Scout. The little dog was resting her head on Sarah's lap, wagging her whole as her friend began to pet her. Sarah had since cleaned herself up, and had stopped crying, but she stilled seemed pale.

Clementine, Ziva, and Jenny were all gathered around her, making light conversation with her to cheer her up. When Sarah saw Abby, she apologized.

"I'm sorry, Abby." she said.

"For what?"

"I ruined everyone's night."

"You did nothing of the sort—that was your parents' fault. All you did was tell them the truth."

"It is their fault that they could not accept it." Ziva added.

"We've got your back." Jenny chimed in. "Are you feeling any better, Sarah?"

The young woman nodded. "I just want to go to bed."

Clementine looked to Abby. _"Can_ we go home?"

"Yep. I came to see if that was what everyone wanted, and Tim is off collecting RJ."

"Are the guys all camped out in the hallway, waiting to see what's up?"

"They are."

Sarah groaned, so Jenny rubbed her shoulder.

"Take care of yourself. You've always got family at NCIS." she turned to Ziva. "Come on. Let's go clear everyone out."

Ziva agreed that this was a good idea and said goodbye to Sarah before following the director away. When they were gone, Sarah moved Scout off her lap and stood.

"I'm hungry, though." Sarah said.

"One thing at a time." Clementine caught Sarah as she stumbled. "Let's just focus on getting out of the bathroom fist."

Abby brought up the rear as Clementine gently guided Sarah along, with Scout trailing beside them. "If you still want to sleep when we get home, that's okay, but if you want to eat, that's totally okay, too. Clementine and I will make you whatever you want."

"But I just have to focus on getting out of here first…"

"Yep, and that's all you have to do."

On the quiet ride home, Sarah found that she felt heartbroken from being rejected by her parents, and then having Ian turn tail on her, like a coward. Ever since she'd found out about the baby and chosen to keep it, she'd been anticipating some form of a falling out. Now that it was happening, she found that it was just about killing her spirit.

But she had a new family, with Tim and Abby at the helm, and even Tyler and Gloria as new, surrogate parents. Her own baby, and the rest of the ones on the way were definitely going to keep her on her toes. Jenny, Gibbs, and the of the NCIS team would fill in the rest of the branches on the family tree. Sarah was thankful for that.

She had been thrown aside by one family, but found by another.

All she really wanted, though, was for no more drama to come from tonight.


	30. After

After a cooling off period at home, and changing out of the clothes she'd worn to the party, Sarah began to feel better.

Rubyjane, on the other hand, had been very taken aback to leave the party, and then come home to an environment where everyone but the dog was clearly tense or sad, but trying to be cool about it for her benefit. So she rerouted her energy into cheering Sarah up.

When her friend didn't reject her, they looked at books together on the couch in the living room and cuddled until Rubyjane fell asleep. With help from Clementine, they changed the little girl into her pajamas, tucked her in, and gave her good night kisses. Sarah even watched Rubyjane sleep for a few moments before leaving her in peace.

It all made her feel even more like the mother that she was becoming, but she didn't mind it because it calmed her down and reminded her that in spite of the turmoil of the night, the world wasn't over.

In fact…

* * *

"Auntie!"

A tiny voice cut through Sarah's heavy slumber.

 _"Auntie!"_

Sarah woke abruptly to the sound of Rubyjane's voice, and to the feeling of the little girl shaking her awake. She checked the time to see that it was twelve-thirty at night, and when she sat up and turned on her bedside lamp, she registered that Rubyjane was at her bed. The little one looked like she was going to cry.

"Baby girl, what's wrong?" Sarah cooed.

Rubyjane didn't have her hearing devices in so she couldn't hear, but she read Sarah's lips and responded quickly.

"That! It scares me!"

She was pointing to Sarah's window, and outside, it was plain to see that it was pouring rain outside. Accompanying this particular weather pattern, though, there was bright lightning and very distant thunder. No little kid would like being woken up like this, however, the thunder was almost completely gone, so Sarah told herself that this was why she hadn't noticed it. The lightning was just stupidly bright.

But then she realized with a pang that Rubyjane had spent most of her life in silence until recently, and had probably developed a hypersensitivity to light, since she hadn't had a reason to fear any kind of sound.

"Do—RJ, do you have to go potty?"

Rubyjane was now doing the universal 'holding it in' dance.

"Yep!" she squeaked.

"Okay, baby." Sarah got out of bed quickly. "Come on."

Sarah quickly steered Rubyjane to the hallway bathroom, and in her haste, the toddler slammed the door behind her.

"Everything okay?"

Abby was coming up the stairs. She was dressed in her nightgown and sleeping cap, and was returning from a midnight snack in the kitchen. Instead of going back to the main bedroom, she detoured and came to stand with Sarah.

"I'm fine, but RJ," Sarah pointed to the closed bathroom door. "Just woke me up to say that the weather outside is freaking her out. She can't hear it, but she doesn't like the light from the lightning."

"Just before we went to New Orleans, she told us that she didn't want to use her nightlight anymore because it was keeping her up."

Sarah arched an eyebrow. "That's a mature conclusion to reach. Nightlights are _supposed_ to be dim to bring sleep on."

"It looks like my kid has a hypersensitivity to light." Abby sighed. "Was she upright long enough to realize that she was on the verge of a potty emergency?"

"Yep, that's what happened. I'm waiting for her so she doesn't panic, and then I'm going to get her back to bed."

Abby smiled at Sarah and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "You're already on your way to being a great mom, and we're proud. Are you feeling any better?"

"I am, especially since Clementine took me out."

In the name of good friendship, and satisfying a craving that Sarah had been having, Clementine had treated her to pancakes at the local all-night pancake house.

"I'm glad you feel better, Sarah. See you in a few more hours." Abby gave her a quick hug. "I love you."

Sarah smiled at her. "I love you, too. Good night."

No sooner had Abby closed the master bedroom door behind her than Rubyjane opened the door to the rest room and made to leave. She giggled cutely when Sarah gave her a reminder about flushing the toilet and washing her hands, but she followed through.

When she was done, Sarah posed a fresh inquiry. "Would you like to go back to your bed?"

Rubyjane shook her head. "Nope!"

"Then would you like to come back to _my_ bed?"

Rubyjane let out a huge yawn. "Y-yes, auntie."

Sarah took her by the hand. "Okay, baby. Come on."

A few minutes later, Sarah and Rubyjane were back in Sarah's bed, under the covers. Extra measures had also been taken to ensure that the room was dark enough that Rubyjane wouldn't be bothered by anything.

"Where's the baby?" she asked sleepily.

"Here." Sarah put Rubyjane's hand on her burgeoning middle. "Right here."

Rubyjane let out her biggest yawn yet. "Good. Love you…"

She was out like a light by the time she'd finished her thought.

"I love you, too, Rubyjane Lily. I love you, too."

Both Sarah and Rubyjane slept soundly for the rest of the night.

* * *

"What are you looking at, Abby?"

It was the morning after the party, and the whole team was back at NCIS HQ, ready for another day of work.

McGee, Tony, Ziva, and Gibbs were each at their desks in the bullpen, and as far as Abby knew, Ducky and Palmer were down in the morgue already. She wasn't quite ready to be alone in her lab yet, so she was just watching the bullpen from up above, on the catwalk. She just hadn't seen Jenny until now.

"Them, director." Abby swept a hand in indication over the area where the primary members of the Major Critical Response Team were sitting. "I grew up wanting for nothing, even though my family is middle class, at best, and I have two sisters and a brother to contend with. I love this team more than any other group of people that I've ever worked with before, but after last night, I'm just thankful that there's more than one kind of family."

"I know what you mean." Jenny rubbed her middle absently as she felt the twins tumble around. "How is Sarah today?"

"Still hurting from being rejected by the parents who made her, but accepting that she has a new family that loves her unconditionally. Tim and I both stood up to his parents last night, mostly on Sarah's behalf, and we saw their true colors."

"Oh, really?"

Abby nodded. "No matter what they say about themselves, John and Ellis McGee are a pair of rich snobs who care more about the making the family name look good, instead of the happiness and sanity of their only children. We cut them out of our lives, and out of the kids' lives."

"Oh, my goodness. How did Tim handle that?"

"Very well, and I'm proud of him because John and Ellis are smooth talkers. When in full force together, they can also be intimidating."

"So, quite the opposite of Tim and Sarah?"

 _"_ _Quite."_ Abby confirmed. "We've all been looking after Sarah since last night, but do you know who's really been going the extra mile?"

"Do tell." Jenny said interestedly.

"RJ—she doesn't know what happened, but she sees how sad Sarah is, and she'll sit with her to talk to her or the baby, just to be near them. Sarah loves it, and she's always remarkably calm afterward."

"Awww."

"Clementine took Sarah for pancakes last night, and before they left, Ruby sat with her for over an hour. They looked at books until she fell asleep, and then Sarah just held her for awhile."

"That's incredibly sweet. Obviously, RJ isn't the same flighty person as she was when we met her because we've all rehabilitated her is different ways, but is that what she's doing with Sarah?"

"Uh-huh, but she doesn't realize what she's doing." Abby handed Jenny her phone, which was open to a specific picture. "Look at this."

Jenny quickly donned her ever-near bifocals, and took the phone. When she focused on what she was looking at, her heart turned to goo. Abby had captured a picture of Sarah on her bed, cradling her niece and rocking her in her arms. Rubyjane was fast asleep and had a hand fisted in the cloth of Sarah's pajamas.

"You should get that framed. It's precious." Jenny handed the phone back to Abby. "What happened?"

"The storm scared RJ last night, and she went to Sarah for comfort, instead of Tim or me. Then she fell asleep in Sarah's bed." Abby looked at picture again before pocketing her phone. "I found them in Sarah's room this morning. Sarah was working on waking her up."

"And what?" Jenny said in amusement. "The little miss was too comfortable?"

"Yep. She has all the trust in the world in Sarah, and already sees her like a second mama."

 _"Also_ incredibly sweet. What does Sarah think?"

"She loves it." Abby turned and looked directly into Jenny's eyes. "Everyone says that I'm good for RJ, and I believe it, but I think she and Sarah are good for _each other._ Did we go through the things we did surrounding RJ's dad, just to get to this moment, so Sarah could have someone that understands being rejected, lost, and found?"

"Abby, I think that's _exactly_ what happened. You've got a new daughter now… even if she _is_ going to be your sister-in-law, but I know that you have more than enough love in your heart to love her the way you love RJ." Jenny gave her friend an affectionate back rub. "It sounds like Sarah has already imprinted on you, and you know what? I'm sure that what RJ learned from you about love and about being kind, she'll use on Sarah. You're a fantastic mother, to to teach her about those things."

Abby hugged her. "Thank you. That means a lot."

Jenny returned the affection, and then pointed down to the bullpen.

Together, she and Abby watched as Gibbs got to his feet, announcing that they were off to investigate the death of a dead lance corporal. McGee and Tony immediately fell into place, chasing after him as he headed to the elevator.

Ziva remained at her desk. Her bum ankle restricted her from going out into the field, as per doctor's orders, and she was unhappy, to say the least.

Abby sighed. "Look at Ziva."

They both looked at her in time to see that she'd made herself a chain of paper dolls.

"Abby," Jenny said to her companion as an idea popped into her head. "Have you started on your requisition papers yet?"

"N—oh…"

She realized what the redhead was driving at, so she turned back and called to the assassin.

"Hey, Ziva! Up here!"

Surprised, Ziva looked up towards the sound of her friend's voice.

"Yes, Abby?" she called back.

"Meet me at the elevator! We're going down to the lab!"

Pleased to not have to make any more doll chains out of scratch paper, Ziva busied herself with following through on her newly beset task. Abby gave Jenny another hug before hurrying to the elevator, too.

Jenny smiled to herself as she headed back to her office. She smiled more when she caught sight of the new, sparkly ring on her finger. She'd left her office to seek Abby and Ziva out about it, although she'd only gotten as far as the catwalk, so she deiced that she would go down to the lab in a few more minutes.

But at least she'd had a good conversation with Abby.

"My work here is done."

* * *

Meanwhile, at the crime scene, anything else was far from over.

"Boss?" McGee called, trying not to groan. "We have a problem now!"

McGee was holding up the victim's Blackberry phone. It had a half-composed text on the screen.

"And what _is_ the problem?" Gibbs asked.

"The lance corporal was in the middle of a text!"

"What's your point?" sassed Gibbs.

"Well, he was texting _Sarah!"_


	31. Inescapable

After Gibbs checked the lance corporal's phone for himself, he issued orders to McGee and Tony to find Sarah. They were flying blind so far, but talking to her was going to be their best bet. Clementine was going to be there, too.

The pair worked at the local paper, called The Daily Trumpeter, in the Lifestyle And Entertainment division. The newspaper was quite prestigious, and had been around for a very, very longtime; anyone who worked for the establishment was always on the fast-track to a well-respected career. The building was located in the DC metropolis, in a large, beautiful brick building on a popular main avenue. It even housed a full printing press, and a newspaper distribution center.

McGee had never been inside before, but as it was located near his favorite coffee shop, he drove.

What he found to be so disconcerting was that Tony was unusually quiet.

"What's the matter with you?" McGee asked cautiously.

"Ziva's got crazy morning sickness, Probie. Every morning. But… she always gets through it, and puts a smile on her face by the time we get to HQ."

"Wow. I never would have guessed." McGee said honestly. "I'm glad Abby and Sarah are both out of that stage."

Tony just made a harrumphing noise at this. McGee promptly changed lanes in the conversation.

"Anything else on your mind?" he tried.

"It feels like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop in this case."

"What? Why?"

"Your parents have made themselves known to us, Eli David—my future father-in-law—is in town, and your sister and Abby's live with you guys. You even technically have a dog. That 'other shoe' would be either Abby's parents turning up… or else, my dad."

McGee laughed. "Well, as far as I know, Tyler and Gloria will still be in New Orleans for a long while."

"I suppose Abby's parents aren't quite the type to drop from the ceiling, huh?"

"They really aren't, but they do love meeting new people, especially those that make their children happy. I wouldn't be surprised if they come for a visit before Abby or Sarah give birth." McGee said thoughtfully. "Is your dad the type to show up unannounced?"

Tony laughed hollowly. "That's _one_ word for it. By the way, if you ever tell anyone that we had this touchy-feely chat…"

"You'll end me?" McGee suggested.

"Bingo." Tony gave an emphatic nod. "It's like you know me."

McGee just smiled to himself and kept driving. Though Tony drove him up the wall many times on a daily basis, the talk they'd just had told him that there was a normal, caring person in there, after all. It would just take awhile to get to him.

* * *

The agents found that each section of the paper had their own floor, and after consulting the directory in the main lobby, they found that they needed to take the elevator up to the fourth floor.

Where the rest of the building was drab, the whole of the Lifestyle And Entertainment floor was warm, bright, colorful, and inviting.

Tony and McGee had barely made it in before they were met by a friendly-looking woman in a cheerful outfit. She was carrying an armful of books and full folders, like she was on the way to start a project, but when she saw the newcomers, she set her things aside and walked up to them.

"I'm Avalon Klatenhoff, the director of the Lifestyle And Entertainment division here at the paper." McGee and Tony shook hands with her when she proffered one. "To whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?"

"Special Agents McGee and DiNozzo, NCIS." explained McGee as he and Tony showed her their badges. "We're working on a homicide investigation, m'am."

"And it led you _here?"_ Avalon asked in surprise. _"Why?"_

"We're in the preliminary stages now," Tony told her. "And at the moment, we're looking for two of your people in particular."

"Everyone is here today. Who do you need?"

"Sarah Cartwright, and Clementine Sciuto."

Avalon gathered her things back up and made a tilting motion with her head. "This way, please. Their office is over here."

McGee and Tony followed Avalon down a main office area, through a main bullpen and to one side of the room that was lined with individual offices. They stopped in front of one that had an open door, although the shades were drawn.

"They should be in there."

"Thank you, Miss Klatenhoff." McGee told her. "This helps."

Avalon left, and McGee and Tony entered Sarah's and Clementine's office.

McGee felt surprised because while Sarah and Clementine had said that they shared an office at The Daily Trumpeter, they had both neglected to mention the size.

It seemed to be divided into two rooms. The front one had a sitting area with a couch and coffee table, and on either end of this first room were two desks. Name plates that read 'S. CARTWRIGHT' and 'C. SCIUTO,' and maybe even the framed pictures told visitors at a glance whose desk was whose, but the minimalistic terrarium on Sarah's desk, as well as a dish of wrapped candy said that that one was hers. Clementine's desk was a little more busy. In addition to her immediate work materials and appliances, McGee also spotted a jar of jellybeans, a wooden sculpture shaped like the state of Louisiana, and different art posters, both on the wall beside the desk, and the actual desk itself. There was also a stack of books and journals on photography, and on the far end of the tabletop, a jar of dog treats. Just for Scout, next to her mistress' desk on the floor, was a very cozy bed with a few toys tucked in one corner.

Two distinctly different people shared this workspace, and they still made it work.

In the room beyond the first, there were different work stations, one for photography, and one for editing and writing. These were for when it really came down to the office's occupants putting their noses to the grindstone about their work. The middle of the room featured a square work table, with four chairs around it, and Sarah and Clementine were found here here, deep in discussion about something and taking notes on yellow legal pads in front of them. McGee also noticed an assortment of different maps in the middle of the table. They were clearly preparing for something.

Scout the dog was on the floor, beside Clementine's chair, happily chewing on a rubber bone. When she recognized two of her favorite people, she stood and bumped Clementine's leg with her nose.

Looking up, Clementine was quite surprised to see who had come calling.

"What are you guys doing here?" she asked as she and Sarah stood to receive them.

"Actually, we need to talk to you two." Tony said. "Could we use this table, maybe?"

Sarah just sat down hard in her chair, nodding. She was already flashing back to when she'd been framed for murder, and Tony and Ziva had come to collect her from the library at Waverley University.

Clementine had already learned to expect anything while rolling with the main Major Critical Response Team from NCIS, although that didn't exactly help her anxiety disorder. Nevertheless, because she was at work, she did her best to not let the anxiety overpower her, so she gave Sarah's shoulders a comforting squeeze as she got up and began clearing the tabletop.

"Come join us. We were just working on our next assignment." she said. "Make yourselves comfortable."

McGee and Tony took the remaining two chairs at the table.

"Okay," said Clementine when she sat back down again. "What's happening?"

McGee took his phone out of his pocket and showed a picture of the lance corporal to her.

"Have either of you seen this man before? He's the subject of a new investigation, and all we know so far is that he's a lance corporal."

"I haven't seen him before, no." Clementine was unfazed by the man's way of being. "What a bummer that he's dead."

She passed the phone to her partner.

"Sare, have you seen before?"

The younger woman took one look at the picture and blanched. It wasn't because being a human incubator 24/7 subjected her to having a weaker constitution, or even because she was having serious déja vù about the last NCIS-related case that she had been involved with.

No, this time, it was she already knew the truth… and it was inescapable.

"Yes," she handed the phone to her brother and watched him put it back into his pocket. "I know him. He name was Lance Corporal Ian Baranski. We, uh, go back."

McGee arched an eyebrow. "And just _how_ far back do you go with him, Sarah?"

"To the governor's mansion in Baton Rogue—he's the father of my child."

McGee had been expecting this, and he suddenly felt himself experiencing a whole roller coaster of emotions. They were nothing compared to what Sarah had to have already been feeling, but still, Tony stepped in for him.

"When was the last time you saw him?"

"Last... oh, no!"

Before she could say anything further, she bolted from the office altogether. Bile had risen to her throat as she realized where this conversation was going—her world had been turned upside down yet again, and now her body was reacting with what was fast becoming a defense mechanism. At least the bathroom was just around the corner.

Clementine was quick to help Sarah move a little faster—she was adept at taking care of her—and Scout happily jogged beside them. They were gone in the blink of an eye.

Tony already knew that they were going to have to go back to the NCIS building, so he was already mentally preparing to find Avalon to tell her what was going on. He turned to McGee to inform him of this, only to find him slumped back in his chair, a look of defeat on his face.

"What's with you, McSlouchy? Already bumming out about the long day ahead?"

At the mention of this particular 'Mc' nickname, he sat up.

"More like I'm bumming out about the long _night_ ahead. Be glad it's only you and Ziva right now, and you're only parenting _one_ kid at first."

Tony chuckled. "Is drowning in estrogen starting to freak you out yet?"

"Just a little." McGee admitted. "Sarah's always been the type to drown her sorrows in ice cream and watch girly movies from the eighties whenever she's down, so there's _that_ to look forward to. Plus, not only does _Clementine_ have her own serious problems with anxiety, but she actually stress-eats _and_ she cooks more than usual. She says it's a productive way to channel nervous energy."

"Huh. That last part sounds more like a perk." Tony mused. "How are Abby and RJ going to be?"

"Abby will take it upon herself to work double time to catch the guy who killed Baranski, so she can deliver an answer to Sarah. As for RJ, she'll just want ice cream, and to sit with Sarah while she watches whatever she chooses. Last time, it was _Dirty Dancing,_ and you know the famous lift?"

"Of course."

"Well, RJ saw it, and spent over an hour dancing around the living room with her stuffed animals. But instead of keeping them in the air, she somehow managed to keep throwing them."

"Did she break anything?" Tony asked with a barely concealed laugh.

"No, thank God, but she 'accidentally on purpose' took her hearing devices out, so it was awhile before we could catch her attention. Abby and I are already considering a dance class or something for RJ."

"Oh, boy..."

McGee nodded. "Now imagine _that_ kind of creativity and spontaneity on sugar, late at night."

Tony shuddered. "No, thanks!"

"And _that_ is life with kids."

Tony shuddered again, because it suddenly occurred to him that his and Ziva's child would either be eccentric in personality, or else quiet and cunning. Two total opposites. As a means to shake these thoughts off because the DiNozzo-David child had a long way to go yet, Tony stood and stretched. McGee followed suit.

What Tony said next was just so… un-Tonyish that had McGee not witnessed it, he wouldn't have believed it.

"All teasing and stuff aside, Tim, you're the brother I've never had and always wanted. If you ever want to escape your wife-to-be, your sister, your sister-in-law-to-be, and your daughter, call me, and we'll go get a drink or something."

McGee was taken aback. "Wow, Tony. Really?"

"Really." he confirmed. "But remember what I said about telling anyone about the touchy-feely stuff?"

"Yep."

"That still stands."

"Copy that." McGee relayed. "Should we go figure out a way to check on Sarah, without it getting weird?"

Again, Tony nodded. "That sounds like a good idea. Let's do it."

The duo left the office to do just that, although both men were privately pleased that they had reached a new level in their friendship.


	32. In Jenny's Office

Eventually, Tony and McGee arrived back at NCIS with Sarah, Clementine, and Scout.

Instead of bringing them to an interrogation room, the agents brought them straight up to one of the conference rooms. When they returned to the bullpen, it was to find Gibbs and Ziva, along with Abby, Palmer, and Ducky all waiting for them. Even Jenny was there.

McGee immediately blanked out, so Tony rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Why are _all_ of you here?" he asked.

"I was thinking," Ducky said first. "That if need be, I might offer my profiling services. Mister Palmer just tagged along."

"It's true." Palmer admitted before motioning to Abby. "We bumped into our friendly neighborhood weapons expert in the elevator."

"Also true." Abby confirmed. "I was hoping to see Sarah and Clementine."

Beside her, Ziva cheekily supplied, "I work here."

Jenny stepped forward, choosing to be the mature one. "In case either of you are wondering, there aren't any rules that have been broken, but Gibbs and I would like to conduct the interview. Is that alright with you?"

"Of course, director." Tony turned to McGee and nudged him when it looked like he was still in La La Land. "Hey! Is it alright with you, probie?"

Recovering, McGee nodded. "Of course."

"Did you put them in Conference Room One?"

"Yes, boss."

"Good." Gibbs approved. "I want you and DiNozzo to come with us."

Jenny chimed in, thinking out loud. "And, let's move everything to my office."

"What about the rest of us?" Abby half-complained.

Gibbs picked up the remote to the plasma and tossed it to her. She caught it.

"Are you saying, connect the plasma to a monitor in the director's office to watch?"

"Correct. Just don't do it from my desk."

"Okey-dokey. I'll do it from McGee's!"

The man in question began to protest, but Jenny lived up to her name and began shepherding him and Tony towards the elevator. Gibbs brought up the rear.

This was going to be an interesting chat.

Sarah and Clementine were pleasantly surprised to see Jenny and Gibbs, and to move to the director's office.

"Are we in trouble?" Sarah asked when everyone had found a spot at the main table.

"No." Gibbs reassured her. "The director and I wanted to conducted the interview. That's all it is."

"Alright." said Clementine. "What about them?"

She motioned towards Tony and McGee.

"We're watching." Tony informed her.

"And them?"

This time, Clementine was pointing to the big monitor. Abby had just connected the plasma screen to it, and she, Ducky, and Palmer were crowded around it.

"Also watching, my dear!" Ducky called. "Carry on!"

Clementine laughed nervously and turned her attention back to Jenny and Gibbs. "What do you want to know… oh, wow…"

She'd been distracted by the sight Jenny's new engagement ring, having noticed it when she'd pushed a stray lock of her long red hair out of her face.

"How new is that?"

"You guys are engaged now?"

Clementine's and Sarah's inquiries had been at the same time, while the others each kicked themselves mentally for not noticing sooner.

Jenny just beamed. "We _are_ engaged, and it happened last night, when we got home from the party."

Although he didn't want to, Gibbs intervened to make sure they didn't all wander off on a rabbit trail. "Sarah, Clementine, you two are here because we need to talk about Lance Corporal Ian Baranski."

At this, Clementine yielded the floor to Sarah. She knew most of what had happened, but Sarah would be able to fill in the rest of the blanks.

"I only met Ian this past May, in Baton Rogue, when I worked in the governor's mansion. I even had a room there." began Sarah. "I don't know all of his whole service record, but I know that there was an honorable discharge in there, somewhere."

"When did you get to the mansion?" Jenny wanted to know.

"I was there from late July, to early December. Ian had been there longer, but I never found out exactly how long."

"Do you have any idea?"

"Honestly, no, but I know that it was long enough for him to have established a good enough reputation to earn himself the job of personal assistant to the Louisiana state governor."

Jenny thought a minute, wracking her brain. "Senator Clark Hildebrand, right?"

"Mhm." Sarah confirmed. "When I saw Ian last night, he said the senator was there, too, but I didn't see him."

Jenny looked to Clementine. "Did _you?"_

"No, director. I didn't see him, or the lance corporal."

Tony, who had been taking notes on his notepad, got his own question in. "How did Baranski and the senator get on to the guest list?"

"I wouldn't begin to know."

Sarah gave a shrug. "My parents have friends—or donors and benefactors—with deep pockets across the nation, and the world. I stopped keeping track of that stuff a long time ago."

Gibbs glanced over at McGee. "Had you heard of Baranski or Hildebrand before now?"

"No, boss." came the prompt reply. "Should I go look them up?"

"Uh-uh. Ziva can do it."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ziva exit the area of the plasma screen to go about her task.

Jenny cleared her throat pointedly. "Sarah?"

The brunette looked at her. "Yes?"

"We were all in the vicinity last night, but what happened, exactly, when you talked to Baranski?"

"He was quite surprised to see me there, because I never told him who my parents are. People treat me differently because of that, and I don't like it, so I don't bring it up if it can be helped."

"Because of the estrangement?" Jenny asked.

Somehow, Sarah managed to get her answer out without turning red. "Bingo. In the name of being petty and spiteful, Ian even asked me if the baby is his, and he accused me of sleeping with the governor."

Jenny arched an eyebrow. "That's intense."

"And _ridiculous_ for a _number_ of reasons. I was a correspondent from the mansion for six months, and I wouldn't have had the time to step out, or whatever." Sarah rubbed her temples for a moment and then heaved a sigh, throwing her hands up. "We didn't get further than that because my parents showed up, and he ran away. I have no idea why seeing them would spook him."

"I'm sure someone will look into that." Jenny shifted her gaze to Tony and McGee. "Who wants to tell our guests about what was found at the crime scene?"

McGee took the lead and addressed his sister. "Did you see, or hear from Baranski at all, after he turned tail?"

"No, Tim."

"Not even a text?"

"No." she repeated. "What are you driving at?"

Jenny handed McGee a folder that Abby had given her, containing a blown-up picture of the text they'd seen. He thanked her and spoke to Sarah again.

"We found the lance corporal out in Harbinger's Field. Any idea why he'd go there?"

"No." Sarah said in surprise; Harbinger's Field was an abandoned field at the edge of town that took its dark name from old tall tales that it had been a 'killing fields' area, once upon a time. "After getting out of the Navy, Ian was not an outdoors kind of guy at all. I don't think he'd go all the way out there, unless he was meeting someone."

"We'll take that under advisement, too." McGee decided. "When we saw him, Sarah, we saw that he'd been in the process of texting you. Abby blew up the message and printed it out so you could read it."

McGee passed Sarah the folder. She opened it, and read the message aloud.

"He wrote, _'Sarah Louise, I'm sorry about last night. We should…'_ It trails off, after that."

"Any idea of what the rest of the message could say?"

"No, because I haven't seen him since I left Baton Rogue for New Orleans, to meet the Sciutos. All I can do is hope that since he apologized, Ian wanted to talk. How did he die?"

When McGee didn't answer straight away, Sarah moved her sights to Gibbs.

"How?" she said again, pressing the matter firmly.

"Are you _sure_ you want to know?"

"Yes. I saw a picture of him, but I think I would regret not hearing the official word on it."

"Baranski was shot, execution style. Right now, the mission is to find out _why,_ and _who."_

Sarah merely nodded as a new memory popped into her head. She turned to Clementine to confer.

"Who did we run into at the pancake house? I'm drawing a blank because these last twelve hours or so are kind of running together."

"We saw Eli David."

This drew the attention of everyone else in the room, as well as the attention of those watching from the bullpen. Even Ziva paused in her work to return to the plasma screen.

"This town is small, but not _that_ small," said Gibbs sharply. "So this is no time to start believing in coincidences. Did you learn why he was there?"

Clementine thought about it. "Actually, he said that he had been meeting someone official, but had been stood up. He didn't name names, but what if he'd been waiting on Ian, or Governor Hildebrand?"

"That's one more thing we can look into, because of you. Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Jenny spoke in the tone of wrapping things up. "Did you learn anything else while you were with Director David?"

"Nope. We talked to him for awhile, because he's very charming and friendly. After that, he gave us a one hundred dollar bill to pay for our meal, and told us to keep the change, so long as we left the waitress a tip. He paid for his food and left. We went back home, not long after."

"What time was it?"

"About ten-thirty. I remember, because we had just enough time to get back home before my favorite late show started."

"Well, thank you, Clementine, for being so thorough." Jenny said graciously. "We appreciate it, and also that both of you agreed to come in."

She stood, and Clementine, Sarah, Gibbs, Tony, and McGee followed suit. Even Scout stood from beside her mistress' chair, and stretched before she sat dutifully at attention.

Jenny spoke to Tony and McGee next. "Please take our friends back to wherever they need to go, and then look for Ziva's father. I want to know who he was meeting, and why he was stood up."

"Yes, director." McGee said obediently.

Tony spoke to Gibbs. "Anything to add, boss?"

The older man shook his head. "Nope. The director covered it."

"Then one of us will call with an update when we have one."

Tony strolled across the room and opened the door with a flourishing bow. Sarah and Clementine watched, amused.

"Ladies," Tony made a gesticulation for them to leave. "After you."

Giggling, Sarah and Clementine left, with Scout walking between them. Tony followed after, and McGee was the last one out after disconnecting the viewing screen from the feed in the bullpen and turning it off. He closed the office door behind him, leaving Gibbs and Jenny on their own.

After a beat, Jenny let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"Everything okay, Jen?" asked Gibbs. "The kids okay?"

She nodded, absently gliding a hand over her middle. "I'm fine, and so are they, but fingers crossed that Ziva doesn't spin out, or something, if it turns out that her father is connected, and in too deep."

"We'll catch her because we always do, and I care about her, just the same as you. Anything else on your mind?"

"I hope that this is all done quickly, and that we don't get any more personal cases for a long time, Jethro. I just want some peace for awhile—or whatever that is, in this line of work."

"Peace wouldn't be too bad." he picked up his fiancée's left hand and kissed the tips of her fingers. "At least all our friends know now that you're going to be Jennifer Gibbs, and I can guarantee you that sometime later today or tomorrow, congratulatory flowers will start pouring in."

Jenny grinned her trademark lopsided grin at him, chuckling because she knew it always made him go weak in the knees. "I can't wait for that. I love you."

"I love you, too."

They kissed, and then she opened the door for him.

"Now please go hold the fort down with Ziva!" she laughed. "I have other things to do!"

Gibbs bowed himself out of the room, and after Jenny gave Cynthia a lunch order, and some money to go pay for it in the NCIS cafeteria on the ground floor, she sat over at her big desk.

She really had meant to get back to work, but that plan went right out the window as she felt the twins wiggle and stretch out inside her. Thankfully, they weren't kicking her, or each other—that always made concentrating on anything that mattered practically impossible.

I'll take a break, Jenny decided, until Cynthia comes back.

She put on her glasses, and from the top drawer of her desk, she pulled out a baby name book. They still had a ways to go before anything official was decided on, but thinking of names for her offspring was fun.

She'd circled quite a few names already.

It felt good to take her director hat off, even it was just for a little while.

* * *

 **Anon, if you don't like the story, WHY do you keep coming back to run me down? I get it. NOW BUZZ OFF.**


	33. Eli

"Okay, David. What's the matter? I can hear the gears in your brain turning from here."

Gibbs and Ziva were the only ones left in the MCRT bullpen. She had put together full reports on both Lance Corporal Ian Baranski, and Senator Hildebrand, for good measure. Gibbs was almost done with the first report because he was a fast reader, so that left him occupied. Tony and McGee were out in the field, while Ducky and Palmer were hard at work in the morgue. Ziva was at her desk, drumming her fingers on the surface because she legitimately had nothing to do.

Rather than raise her voice unnecessarily, Ziva rolled her wheelchair over to Gibbs' desk. He gave her his attention, albeit with an arched eyebrow.

"It isn't about the wheelchair, is it?"

"No." Ziva leaned back in the offending piece of wheeled furniture. "I am sentenced to this thing or the crutches until the end of February; the doctor says my sprained ankle should be all better by then."

"If it isn't the wheelchair, then how is the baby?"

In spite of Ziva's mood, a small smile flickered across her lips as she touched a hand to her middle. "The little one is fine, and being refreshingly calm for once."

"That's good. So what's up?"

Ziva sighed again. "I am just antsy because Tony and McGee will be speaking with my father after they bring Sarah and Clementine back to work."

"Are you worried, that since things are no longer in a party setting, your old man might freak them out, just to have some fun?"

"Precisely."

"Well, I talked to him at the party last night."

"A lot of people did—Eli David is a popular and charming social butterfly. My mother was the same."

"Popular and charming are definitely two attributes that can be used to describe your father—I'll give you that one, Ziva. However, something interesting came up in our chat."

"What was that?"

"He loves you, and he's proud of you, and he respects you."

"Really?" Ziva knew these words were true, but she just didn't hear them often enough.

Gibbs nodded. "Really. Because of all that, Eli even said that unless he's crossed, he'll be polite and cooperative with us."

"Meaning that he'll not stress Tim and Tony out too much when they go calling on him."

"Unless one of them accidentally sets themselves up, then no."

Ziva snickered. "So they will be fine."

"Yeah, they'll be fine."

"And if my father _is_ deeply involved with what it is that is happening?"

"Then I expect you to maintain your objectivity while DiNozzo and McGee handle the situation, and your father, accordingly."

Ziva bobbed her head as she digested her mentor's words, and then made a humming noise as she absently tapped the underside of her engagement finger with her thumb.

Gibbs tacked on something else, feeling thoughtful. "I'll set Eli right if he makes you cry, but there's just one thing that neither I, nor Jenny will touch while your dad is in town."

"The 'What are your intentions?' chat he will no doubt have with Tony after all this is over?"

"Bingo."

"Then there is nothing to do right now but wait, I suppose."

She sounded so defeated that Gibbs actually showed her some pity. "Have you heard anything from Autopsy in awhile?"

"I have not." Ziva confessed.

"Then why don't you go see how things are coming along with Baranski's body?"

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive." Gibbs assured her. "DiNozzo and McGee are out in the field, but we have no active leads or BOLOs to track—and that's usually your department. All I'm doing is reading the reports you wrote."

Ziva was finally convinced. "Alright. I will go."

She moved back to her desk and swapped out her wheelchair in favor of her crutches. Gibbs watched her leave, returning to his papers when the elevator doors closed again.

To the officer's chagrin, the trip to Autopsy was not quite as routine, like it usually was. Though Ducky and Palmer were both working on the lance corporal's body, both men appeared to be vexed about something.

"What is wrong?" Ziva asked her friends.

"Oh, my dear." Ducky said when he saw her. "Mister Palmer and I have found ourselves in a bit of a quandary."

"Care to fill me in?"

Ducky beckoned her over to the table, on which the body lay open. It was as unpleasant as every other table she'd seen on the table, but Ziva was pleased with her own strength—because of her high threshold for weird things, she was as unperturbed as ever. Maybe she could even help.

"This poor fellow was shot execution style," Ducky was telling her. "Just below the skull—that much is for certain—but we can't find an exit wound."

 _"Pardon?"_

"It's true, Ziva." Palmer said. "We've searched the whole body, stem to stern, but no dice."

"What do dice have to do with this?"

"It's a figure of speech, in this case meaning, that a search for any kind of exit wound has yet to present results or a solution to Doctor Mallard, or myself." he explained quickly. "Right now, we're searching the man's insides for the bullet because we're at a loss."

"I see…"

The current situation was bringing back an old memory from Israel.

"What is it?" Ducky asked eagerly, realizing that Ziva was on the verge of something. "You've got your thinking face on."

"Back in Israel, we have a family farm in a place called Haifa; it is very beautiful there, and I miss it." Ziva began. "When my brother, my sister Tali, and I were children, we would spend summers out there with our parents, and we would get up to all kinds of antics to entertain ourselves."

"Like what? You seem to be recalling something in particular."

"Indeed. There was one time that Ari nicked a shekel apiece for himself, Tali, and I, and then he dared us to flush them down the toilet."

Palmer laughed openly, and Ducky was amused against his will. "Did you go through with it?"

"Oh, yes, and so did Ari and Tali."

"Dare I ask what became of the shekels?"

"The coins fit down the pipes, but they grew stuck after awhile. Once the plumber fished them out, the coins had traveled all the way to the other side of the property."

Palmer had the epiphany first. "And now, you're suggesting that the bullet could have done a bit of traveling, too?"

"I am suggesting that, yes."

Ducky and Palmer agreed that her anecdote had merit, so they took Ziva up on the suggestion. She watched in fascination as they did some 'exploratory digging' in their guest's guts, while verbally keeping tabs on what they were doing so they wouldn't get lost.

After a few minutes—

"Doctor, I found it!"

Both Ducky and Ziva looked to Palmer to see that he was holding aloft the missing bullet with a pair of curved tweezers.

Ducky held open an empty petri dish. "Drop it in, please."

Palmer did so, and screwed the lid on, before turning to Ziva. "Would you like to bring it to Abby?"

"Yes, please."

"Then here you go." Palmer tucked the piece of equipment into one of Ziva's crutch pockets. "Thank you."

Thankful for something else to do, Ziva retuned the thanks in kind. "Thank _you."_

And she left the morgue for Abby's lab, no longer sad about not being out in the field.

* * *

Meanwhile, Tony and McGee were just arriving at the local Ritz-Carlton hotel, on the search for Eli David. The conference he was in town for was being held there, and what things he had on the agenda for the day weren't due to start for another two hours. Because he was a busy man, he had forgotten to tell Ziva where he had been staying, but she had suggested this hotel to Tony and McGee because she knew that it was her father's favorite place to stay.

Luckily, the agents found Eli in the corner of the hotel's dining lounge, at a table. Beside him was a folded up copy of the day's paper, and a fully-stocked blue china tea tray. Eli didn't see his visitors immediately because he was writing something in a well-worn journal, but Tony already knew that if the stories he'd heard about his future father-in-law were anything to go by, then it would be in both his and McGee's best interest to not let their guard down around him. His fingers were crossed that this meeting would go well.

Tony cleared his throat. "Mister David?"

The old man paused in his writings, and when he realized who had arrived, he even stood. "To what do I owe the pleasure? And do call me Eli—we are all friends, here."

McGee shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Alright, Eli. Tony and I have been looking for you because we have some questions to ask."

"Did Ziva tell you where to find me?"

"She did, although it was just a guess on her part."

This was all that Eli needed to hear, so he sat back down and indicated for McGee and Tony to sit opposite him, on the other side of the table. Setting aside his journal, he pulled the tea tray to the center of the table, and first offered a drink to his companions first. They both declined politely, so he busied himself with pouring himself a cup of tea and making it to his preference.

When he finished, and had a moment to enjoy his drink, Tony presented from a folder a copy of Baranski's service record. "Do you know this man?"

Eli set his tea cup in the matching saucer and studied the picture before giving an answer. "That is Lance Corporal Ian Baranski, but I only just met him last night, at the party."

"What did you talk about?"

"The young man inquired if I 'know people' here, as the saying goes."

 _"Do_ you?"

"Indeed I do. I have different friends and connections all over the world, but other than Israel, most of them are here."

McGee spoke up. "Did Baranski tell you what he wanted to use those connections _for?_ People don't ask those kinds of questions without some sort of cause."

"He was not specific, but then he spotted Sarah from a distance, and suddenly seemed to be in rather a hurry."

"Why?"

Eli's response was in a tone of musing. "Baranski was not specific about that, either, but what puzzled me was that he did not go to Sarah for help in the in the first place—she _is_ a journalist, and he said in passing that he knows her. Plus, wherever she is, Clementine is never far behind."

"Very true, and they _are_ journalism partners." McGee said. "What happened after the party?"

"Therein lies the rub, my friend."

"How's that?"

"I told Baranski to meet me at Lola's Diner, beside the overpass. Do you know it?"

McGee nodded, although his mind was racing: so far, it looked and sounded as though the mighty Eli David really had no idea that the person of whom they were was dead. They had also reached the part of the version of events that they'd heard from Sarah and Clementine, in the director's office. Now he had to work extra hard to not show his hand; they were so close.

"Yeah, I know Lola's Diner—it's one of Gibbs' favorite haunts. Did Baranski meet you?"

"No. He stood me up," (Eli actually sounded a little disappointed) "Although, I did see Sarah and Clementine. They were sad about something, so we spoke together for a small while, and then I paid for their food. I returned here after, around a quarter to eleven, and I have not left since. What is all this about, please?"

Tony answered him, not holding anything back. "Baranski was found dead this morning, and we're investigating his death. As of now, you're one of the last people to have seen him alive."

Eli's teacup had been halfway to his lips, but when he heard Tony's answer, he promptly set it back on the saucer again. Of course, he had suspected the agents had come to chat with him about something important, but all the same, it was jarring to hear that someone he'd spoken with in the night was dead.

"How dreadful. I take it that Sarah and Clementine have heard this news by now?"

"They did, and they told us their version of events, including bumping into you at the diner. I'm sure you understand why we've had to ask these things."

"I do understand. I did not see the lance corporal after we agreed on when and where to meet."

"But he left because he had spotted Sarah?"

"Yes."

"What spooked him?"

Eli shrugged. "All I know is that he saw her, and nearly bolted like a deer. Any more questions, gentlemen? There a few matters I need to attend to before today's leg of my conference begins."

"Had Baranski shown up to the diner, where would you have sent him?"

Eli fished a business card from his wallet and gave it to Tony. "I would have sent him see my good friend, Audrey Wildwood. She takes things that are a little more... shall we say... _'colorful'_ than others."

"Not much has happened to interest a reporter." Tony invented wildly.

"That is a lie, and we all know it." Eli said coolly. "I am terribly sorry that a member of your Navy is dead, but I have told you all that I know. You have my word that I have no further involvement than what I have already said."

Put in his place, Tony got back on the train of professionalism. The distraction had been worth a shot. "Thank you. Your honesty is appreciated."

The agents both rose to their feet and shook Eli's hand, with McGee adding, "Yes. Thank you for speaking with us."

"Thank _you_ for stopping by. Hopefully, we will meet under more pleasant circumstances next time."

Tony and McGee agreed that this promise had a nice ring to it, so they said good-bye, and were soon on their way. Eli waved as they left.

Tony had handed the business card to McGee as they departed the lounge, but when he read it, he let out a groan.

"What's with you, McMoany?" Tony griped. "I don't know if you had your head in the sand back there, or what, but that man we just spoke to is the father of my wife-to-be!"

McGee brandished the card at him. "Audrey Wildwood works at The Daily Trumpeter, too!"

Tony stomped his foot in frustration. "Oh, come _on!_ We were _just_ there! Please tell me you see a number on the card, so we can call and arrange a meet!"

Backtracking all the way to the newspaper building would going in a gigantic circle.

"I found the number for her cell!" McGee said after a moment of searching. "You drive, and I'll call boss with an update before I call Audrey!"

Tony approved of this plan, and led the way back to the car, wishing desperately that the day could just be over already so he could hang out with Ziva at home. He also found himself hoping that McGee and Abby would find a way to slow down later on, too. It was just one of those days.

Tony also found himself hoping that whatever was left of it, things would go smoothly.

Little did he know just how wrong he was.


	34. A Long Morning

After calling Gibbs to avail him of the things he and Tony had just learned, and to tell him what they were about to do, McGee called the number on Audrey Wildwood's business card. She answered quickly, and when McGee reached the part about Eli being involved, she agreed to meet the agents at a local café. Maybe it was McGee just being jumpy, but Audrey's fast response made him a little wary.

As usual, Tony was on another planet, and when McGee looked over at him, rolled his eyes.

"Spit it out, man."

 _"_ _Breakfast At Tiffany's_ is Ziva's favorite date movie."

"And Sarah loves it, too. What's your point?"

"Well, the person we're about to meet, her name is Audrey Wildwood—that's the name of the star of the movie, and the last name of one of the movie's more iconic characters, probie!"

In truth, McGee had seen _Breakfast At Tiffany's_ more times than he cared to admit, because not only did Sarah love it, but so did Abby, Clementine, and even Rubyjane. That meant it was on at the house often. Hopefully, when baby Riversong was older, he or she would side with him, and prefer action movies, like he did.

"So… what? Are you saying that because this journalist's name is _Audrey Wildwood,_ she might bring us even more of a break than Eli did?"

"Well, hope springs eternal, and Wildwood is an actual surname, so you never know. I just want this case to be over, already."

McGee sighed. "So do I, but especially for my sister, so she can move past it."

Tony made to make a comment about his partner being a thoughtful brother, but was interrupted by the arrival of a woman. She was younger than they were, in her twenties, at the most, and was dressed in bright colors that put him in mind of a cartoon character. All the same, she meant business, which led Tony to wonder how she'd met Eli David in the first place, and what had happened to make her fall under his definition of 'good friend.'

Coming back to reality, he stood with McGee at their table in time to receive her.

"Special Agents McGee and DiNozzo?" she asked tentatively.

McGee nodded, and showed her his credentials. "I'm McGee, and he's DiNozzo. Audrey Wildwood, I presume?"

"That's me." she sat, and the men sat opposite her. "What's all this about? Is Eli in trouble?"

"No. What makes you ask that?"

Audrey coughed nervously. "Eli is my friend: I was introduced to him when I was doing a project in Tel Aviv last year, and we've kept in contact ever since. I'm a foreign correspondent for The Daily Trumpeter, and next, I'm off to Tokyo for a month. What is all this about?"

Tony cleared his throat. "Right. We're investigating a homicide, Audrey, and your name came up."

"What?! How?!"

"The deceased crossed paths with Eli last night, and Eli had plans to send him your way today."

Audrey kept listening, against her better judgement. "Really? What was this guy's name?"

But Tony only got as far as showing the picture that he'd shown to Eli before she recoiled in shock.

"Ian is dead?!"

"Woah, Audrey." Tony said in surprise. "How do you know him?"

She was shaking her head now, and standing up. "I have to get out of here!"

Tony tried again. "How do you know Lance Corporal Ian Baranski?"

"He approached me last month when he was visiting from New Orleans—he said he knew bad things about the man that he worked for." Audrey glanced over her shoulder. "I have to go!"

"Do you at least remember the name of Ian's boss?"

"Hildebrand!"

McGee held out his card to her. "Will you at least take this?"

Audrey did, but she looked at the card and then at McGee, something clicking in her brain. "Are you the big brother that Sarah Cartwright talks about?"

"Yes, but—"

This raised a red alert for Audrey, so she turned on her heel and promptly exited the café. She was gone as quickly as she'd come, like a spooked horse.

The agents both stared after her.

"Tim, what the hell just happened?"

McGee had a small turn at Tony using the shortened version of his given name—he almost never did, but when the occasion arose, it was because peril was close at hand.

"I don't know how to answer that. What I _can_ say is that we're all officially in over our heads."

McGee also wanted to go back to NCIS, to find Abby so he could just hold her, but he didn't get to hang on to even that thought for too long, because his phone rang with a call from Gibbs about a new dead body to investigate. When the call was over, however, he hung up and turned to Tony in disbelief.

"Don't tell me that someone else is dead." Tony griped.

"There's always going to be another dead body, Tony, but try _who_ it is this time—Senator Hildebrand, himself."

"But didn't Audrey just tell us…?"

"Yes, unfortunately."

"And wasn't it Hildebrand's mansion in _Louisiana_ where Sarah lived, and met him and Baranski?"

"Yes." McGee repeated. He stood and stretched. "Come on—we need to go to the new crime scene, but we also have to tell Gibbs about what happened here, and why we'll probably see Sarah and Clementine, Audrey, and Eli, or any of them in an official capacity in the next twenty-four hours or so."

Tony gathered his things and then fell into place astride McGee as they headed for the main café door. "Ziva won't be happy. She loves her father, but doesn't take too kindly to him getting involved with other people's drama."

"And now, there's Audrey."

"Yeah." Tony agreed. "Buckle in, Tim. This is going to be a bumpy ride."

* * *

Adding yet another bump in the road was the fact that the crime scene was in the hotel where they had attended the party, the night before. This time, however, Tony and McGee found themselves riding the lift nearly to the top floor. The luxury suites were located here. The one that they were looking for, according to what McGee had learned from Gibbs, was at the end of the hall. The last one on the left.

"What do we have, boss?" McGee asked Gibbs once they'd ducked under the crime scene tape.

In response, Gibbs just met his underlings both with an arched eyebrow. They reacted like a pair of guilty schoolboys.

Immediately, McGee spoke in a tone of backpedaling. "Well, we had no idea that Audrey Wildwood was going to react the way that she did, and if we go to the paper again, she'd just flee somewhere else. It would also be going in a gigantic circle."

"Ziva's father also told us everything he knew," Tony added. "And we believed him. Do you want us to go make that Eli and Audrey aren't off scheming, or something?"

"No, DiNozzo! What I want to know is why you two chuckleheads haven't called Ziva yet! _She_ called _me_ because apparently, she called both of you, but neither of you picked up!"

He watched Tony and McGee mentally retrace their steps, going over what they'd done since leaving the Navy Yard, trying to see where they had gone wrong. They both arrived at the conclusion simultaneously.

"Whoops." Tony said when he checked his phone. "This was on silent."

"Mine, too," McGee followed up. "But I always have mine on silent when I go into a café. I just forgot to turn it back when we left because of everything that just happened…"

How words died away when Gibbs' expression became steelier than ever. Spotting his camera equipment bag that had been brought up from the MCRT van, McGee broke eye contact with Gibbs and hurried off.

Tony took a step back when Gibbs turned his gaze on him. _"I_ will go call Ziva, and pray that she doesn't curse me out in Hebrew again."

Without another word, he left the suite for the hotel hallway, passing Ducky on the way out. The old man seemed preoccupied.

"What's on your mind?" Gibbs asked him. "Where's Palmer?"

"He is back at the morgue, finishing up with Lance Corporal Baranski."

"But…?"

Ducky turned to face him. _"But,_ for a moment we couldn't find an exit wound for the bullet that ended his life."

"Excuse me?"

"We shall all reconvene in Autopsy later. The part that is presently bothering me is that when we went to wash our guest's body, Mister Palmer and I encountered something rather odd."

"You couldn't find an exit wound for a GSW, and _that_ isn't unusual?"

Realizing that his friend's patience was waning, Ducky continued on. "He was covered from the shoulders down, in some kind of oil, not unlike something that one would find in a massage parlor."

"Are you telling me that our victim had time for a massage before he died?"

"Well, not _directly_ before, but some time in the few hours beforehand, yes. Abby is analyzing a sample in her lab now." Ducky looked around. "Where is the poor senator now?"

Gibbs motioned for him for follow. "Through here, in the bathroom."

Senator Clark Hildebrand was on the floor of his bathroom, in his pajamas. He was very dead, and lying flat on his front, facing away from the others, a look of shock on his face. Ducky didn't see this until he moved over to investigate this, but he also saw the cause of the senator's death.

"Oh, my." Ducky sighed heavily. "It appears as though he met the same demise as our guest in Autopsy."

"Shot, execution style?"

"Mhm."

"Hildebrand is a surprise, I'll admit, but if this keeps up, then it looks like the people being wiped out are ones connected to him or who know exactly what it was that he was up to in the first place."

"I beg your pardon, Jethro?"

"Like you said—we'll reconvene later."

"Very well." Ducky capitulated. "You know, I saw Tony out in the hallway, on the phone, but he could scarcely get a word in edgewise with the other person. Whom did he call?"

"Ziva. I told him to tell her about what he and McGee learned while they were out, but she was probably chewing him out because he forgot to call her until I reminded him."

Chuckling, Ducky returned to investigating Hildebrand's body further, but after just a few moments, he had paused at a new observation.

"What, Duck?" asked Gibbs.

"This, for starters."

He was pointing at a gun on the other side of the body, just out of Gibbs' line of sight.

"Until Abby can prove otherwise, this is a suicide; the gun is at an angle that would make it seem so."

"And what is my thirty-ninth rule? I think you would know that one, after all these years of working together."

"That one is, 'there is no such thing as a coincidence,' and that is all good and well, old friend, but I haven't any other idea how to phrase it. Just what have we stumbled upon?"

"I don't know. Anything else giving you pause?"

"This. The senator is married."

Ducky showed Gibbs the victim's right hand, and a gold wedding band was clearly visible.

"The next order of business is finding his w—"

But they were interrupted by a loud voice, out in the hallway.

"DON'T TELL ME NO! MY HUSBAND IS IN THERE!"

Gibbs left the bathroom for the hallway, and found Tony facing a lavishly-dressed woman. Her entire style was very sophisticated, all the way down to a Chanel bag she carried over one shoulder; this turned out to be a carrier for a Yorkshire Terrier, who seemed to be watching the scene very intently. Also surveying things were four young children—three girls and a boy. They each bore their own looks of trepidation.

Suddenly, the boy sidestepped the sister closest to him. "CHLOE, NOT AGAIN! WHY AREN'T YOU EMPTY? AIM AT THE PLANTER!"

Chloe spotted the planter closest to her, and just in time, because she vomited into it. Understandably, her brother and sisters expressed their disgust and gave her a wide berth. Chloe began to cry. Their mother just groaned and hung her head.

Tony was at a loss for words because life with kids was flashing before his eyes. Maybe he and Ziva and the baby would only ever be a family of three. Yeah, that sounded like a good idea…

Gibbs approached the new person. "Missus Hildebrand?"

She looked at him and nodded. "I'm Julia Hildebrand. Senator Clark Hildebrand is my husband."


	35. Julia

Missus Julia Marie Hildebrand had been having a lousy twenty-four hours.

She was the young trophy wife of the Louisiana state governor, Clark Hildebrand, and because of him, everybody knew her name and loved her. It was true that she had married her husband when she was quite young, but she hadn't cared, because she liked being married to a man with power. Her life was charmed, to the people who didn't live it. Otherwise, it was kind of her own little hell, and she just wanted to get herself and her children out.

Julia had spent almost the entirety of her adult life to date married to Clark, and in a short amount of consecutive years, she'd given birth to one son and three daughters. But Clark wanted more. When Julia told him she was done having children, she was met with years of badgering for one last baby, anyway.

In the aftermath of learning that she was expecting once more, Julia also came to the realization that she and Clark had been growing apart that it was, and that they were only keeping things together for appearances. She needed to leave Louisiana to start over. Because of the pressure to reproduce, and for a long litany of other grievances, she came to the realization that a divorce was the only mature conclusion.

But then came the straw that had broken the camel's back.

Clark's personal aide, Lance Corporal Ian Baranski, had informed her that his boss was up to some 'bad business,' and that he was even cheating on her. He'd also let slip the name Sarah Cartwright. Julia remembered her as one of the journalists from the mansion, but she wasn't sure if she was the mistress or the red herring.

Feeling overwhelmed, she left by train with her children and her dog to see her parents in Richmond. They could help her think things through. It was with renewed vigor the following morning that Julia left her parents' house to look into serving her husband with divorce papers.

The journey back to the hotel was fine until for an unknown reason, Chloe had gotten sick on the train vomited. Julia's only desire was to put Chloe to bed, and rest her feet.

But Chloe had vomited again at the sight of crime scene tape up at their hotel room door.

* * *

"Okay, you." Julia said to her daughter after she finished cleaning her up. "You stay put at this wall."

"Yes, mama." Chloe sat on the floor and leaned against the wall behind her. "My legs are kinda wobbly, anyway."

"What about the rest of us?" Junior, the eldest, asked cautiously.

"Just line up beside your sister."

The children fell into place, and Junior pointed to his mother's bag. "Want me to hold Cyber, mama?"

Cyber was the name of Julia's dog. He was regularly very quiet and very pleasant, but he was getting antsy inside his dog carrier.

"You're a good boy." Julia told her son as she handed him the bag. "Thank you."

Beaming at the praise, Junior took the bag, and went to join his little sisters.

Julia finally approached the agents, although they stood a small ways away from her offspring.

"I've had a really long twenty-four hours gentlemen. I just want take care of my family, and have a rest." she said. "What's going on?"

"You're Senator Hildebrand's wife?" Gibbs asked her.

"That's what I said, and this is our hotel suite."

"Missus Hildebrand, I'm Special Agent Gibbs from NCIS, and this is one of my people, Special Agent DiNozzo. The tape is up because this is now a crime scene."

"Excuse me?"

Tony took a small step forward. "When was the last time you saw your husband?"

"Yesterday, just before I took the kids and the dog with me to Richmond. We were visiting my parents."

"I'm so sorry, but your husband has died."

Julia was aghast. "What? _How?"_

Her legs gave out, but Tony caught her and eased her to the floor. Tony knelt in front of her, speaking gently.

"It's probably best to talk about it away from the kids."

Julia rubbed at her eyes with the back of her hand as tears began to fall. "But we don't have anywhere to go—we were just in Richmond, but our _home_ is Louisiana!"

Tony continued to be patient. "Do you know what NCIS stands for?"

"Naval Criminal Investigative Services, I think."

"That's exactly what it stands for. We can all talk there."

Julia wiped her eyes again and let out a steadying breath. "You won't mind my kids, or my dog?"

"No, m'am." Tony rose and held out a hand. "How about we get you back on your feet now?"

Julia let Tony help her stand, and he even caught her when she teetered.

"Everything alright? All things considered, I mean?"

"It's just kind number five, being silly." she pointed to her middle. "We're fine."

Julia let out another shaky breath, and then went back to her children, forcing herself to smile at them.

"Come on, babies—up, up, up!" she made a rising motion with her hands. "We're going for a ride!"

The Hildebrand children hadn't heard any of their mother's conversation about what had become of their father, so they were all immediately enticed by going to another place already.

Meanwhile, Tony was once more wondering about how many kids he and Ziva would have in the years to come.

* * *

Upon Gibbs filling her in on the case's newest developments, Jenny decided to update Ziva, too. Everyone else was busy, and she had nothing to do, so they met up on the catwalk, in front of the office door.

"What was it that you wanted to see me about, director?" Ziva wanted to know.

Jenny pointed. "Them."

Both women looked down to the main floor, just in time to see Gibbs, the Hildebrands, and Cyber the dog piling out of the elevator. They didn't see Tony or McGee, but surmised that they were taking the stairs.

"Is that _four children_ , and a _dog?"_ Ziva asked her CO in surprise.

"Yes." Jenny told her. "Tony found Missus Hildebrand and the kids—or they found him, rather."

"Meaning that the newest person in the morgue is her husband."

"Correct, and until Ducky and Palmer prove otherwise, the official word is that this was a suicide."

"How sad, but I understand what you are saying." Ziva watched as Gibbs led the visiting party through the doorway on the other side of the room that led to the lounge. "Have you been told the names of our visitors?"

"Missus Hildebrand's first name is Julia, and the children are called Clark Junior, Chloe, Lauren, and Alyssa."

"What of the dog?"

"That little guy is a Yorkshire Terrier named Cyber." Jenny replied. "Gibbs also told me that Missus Hildebrand is even pregnant again."

Ziva shook her head in wonder. "Wow—four young children, _plus_ one more. Three children are my own limit…"

Even as she finished this thought, it became apparent to Jenny that the younger woman had something else on her mind.

"What is it?" the redhead asked.

Ziva turned to her. "Does the name Audrey Wildwood ring a bell?"

"No. Should it?"

"To you, I suppose not, but to me, yes. She is a journalist whom Tony and McGee just interviewed."

This was news to Jenny. "Oh, really?"

"Truly. She also happens to be friends with my father, and was to have met with Baranski today."

"Because of Eli?"

"Yes."

"He has connections everywhere, Ziva. What the hell happened?"

Out came what Ziva had learned about the meeting with Audrey Wildwood. Jenny found it fantastic, but more in a flabbergasting way.

"And then Audrey just _left?"_ she finally blurted.

"Yes. She was thoroughly spooked, and clearly has a part in whatever this is."

"I'll say." Jenny agreed. "Baranski is dead, and now Hildebrand. By Audrey's logic, she feels that she, Sarah, or Clementine could be the next targets."

"I have started a background check on her."

"Outstanding. Send me a copy when you're done."

"Yes, director. Of course."

For the second time in as many minutes in the conversation, Ziva grew lost in through. Jenny realized immediately where her train of thought had gone.

"If you had a middle name, this would be the part where I use it!" Jenny put her hands on her hips. "I know that look—it's the same one that you wore when we saw that Orli Elbaz was getting cozy around your father!"

Ziva sighed. "I have heard of Audrey before."

"Go on."

"I do not know much, other than that during one video call last year, he told me they had met and hit it off. He even showed me a framed photograph of the two of them that he keeps on his desk." Ziva fought to keep herself in check. "The only other pictures he keeps there are of myself, my mother, and of my brother and sister. The kicker—if that is the correct phrasing—is where the photograph was taken."

Jenny wrinkled her hose. "Where? Not the farm in Haifa, I hope?"

"No—try on the bank of the Jordan River, in the summertime!"

"Oh, boy."

"Precisely."

Other than being one of the most historical places in the history of the world, the Jordan River was a very beautiful place. In the summertime, it was more enchanting than usual, and a bit of a Lover's Lane.

"Do you think Eli and Audrey could be sleeping together?" Jenny asked after a beat.

"I hope it is just that, and nothing more. I do not want any more siblings, or a stepmother who is younger than me." Ziva shivered at the thoughts of what could be. "Tony said that both my father and Audrey described each other as friends, but he also said that her first question was about my father's well-being."

"Meaning?"

 _"Meaning_ that never mind the river photograph, there could be something more!"

At this, Jenny gave Ziva a sympathetic, motherly look. "You know the saying your mother was fond of using—a little fire burns a great deal of corn."

Ziva spoke with petulance. "Yes, yes… but Eli is my father."

"And you love him. I was fond of my father, too; I get it." Jenny patted her underling on the shoulder. "Do you think you can keep it together while the Hildebrands are here?"

"Yes."

"Good, because I see DiNozzo and McGee getting off the lift, and Gibbs and Missus Hildebrand making tracks for the stairs. We're going to gather in the conference room."

"I will keep it together." Ziva reaffirmed as she put on her best poker face and centered herself.

"Just what I want to hear. Let's go get the room ready."

* * *

Gibbs and Julia were the last to arrive, and when they sat at the table, she had a start at the sight of one person in particular.

"Oh, my God." she said when she saw McGee. "You're Sarah's brother."

"Yes, I am." he said in equal surprise. "Missus Hildebrand, how do you know my sister? From the mansion?"

"Yes, and my friend Ian Baranski mentioned Sarah yesterday. I want to talk to her…"

Before things could get any further away from what mattered, Jenny held her hands in the time-out position. "Missus Hildebrand, I'm Director Shepard, and I run this organization. On my right, here, is Officer Ziva David, but I'm sure you've been introduced to everyone else around the table by now?"

Julia nodded. "We're here to talk about my husband."

"Correct, I'd love to hear what you know about Sarah Cartwright, and Lance Corporal Ian Baranski."

The last thing Julia wanted now was to be cooped up for any longer than she had to be, but she cooperated. "Of course, m'am. How did my husband die?"

"Are you sure you want to know?"

"I _need_ to know."

"Our medical examiner is working as we speak, but the cause of death is currently suicide."

Naturally, Julia's heart lurched at this, but because of the recent state of her marriage, the first words out her mouth were, "That can't be right. That can't _possibly_ be right."

"How's that, Missus Hildebrand?"

"Please—it's Julia." she sighed. "This can't be right because Clark may have been a moron, but he just wouldn't have _offed_ himself."

"What makes you call him a moron?"

"Apparently, my husband was mixed up in something bad, and he was cheating on me."

"Where did you hear that?"

"From Ian. He told me yesterday, when we were all getting ready to fly up here, and he also said that Sarah Cartwright might have something to do with it."

Jenny arched an eyebrow. "Do you have any idea what your husband was mixed up?"

Julia shrugged. "No, which is why I'm looking for Sarah. Not that I'll have the time…"

"No?"

"Look, I was Clark's trophy wife, alright? I've also got four young kids to look after, and a fifth on the way. I'm also not even thirty yet—but my kids, and even my dog, are all I have time for."

"So you wouldn't begin to know what your husband did, or whom he talked to regularly?"

"No, director, not even for work. That's Ian's job." Julia looked around at them all, a new dot connecting in her brain. "Did something happen to him?"

Across the table from her, Gibbs nodded. "He's dead, too."

Julia blanched. "Jesus Christ, what a shame. When did it happen?"

"Late last night. You said that you were in Richmond? Visiting your parents?"

"Mhm. Is this where I tell you all why?"

"From the top."

"Please." Tony chimed in. "Sometimes he forgets to say that part."

So Julia told the room full of NCIS officials all that she knew, and also about her marriage. By the end, she was finally starting to cry.

"Now it seems ridiculous to still be mad." Julia said shakily. "I just want to know who did killed my husband and why, so I can give the kids an answer when they're old enough, and so I can plan a funeral for him. I also have to clean myself up, tell my kids that their daddy went to Heaven, call my parents, and figure out where we're all going to sleep tonight since our suite is now a crime scene! Is there _anything_ _else_ any of you need?"

"Two things," Gibbs decided. "The first of which is, do you know a Clementine Sciuto, an Eli David, or an Audrey Wildwood?"

Julia thought about it. "No. I don't know any of those people."

"Then do you know if your husband, or Ian would have gone to a massage parlor at all since you've been all been up here?"

This just sounded so ludicrous to Julia that she became bewildered. _"What?"_

Seeing that she'd clearly reached her limit, Gibbs concluded the meeting and stood. "Never mind. Officer David will help you with your kids, and with arranging for a lift to wherever you need to go."

Julia liked the sound of this and followed Ziva out of the room. Tony and McGee went after, closing the door behind them at the director's request.

She stood, too, and blew out a breath. "What a day this is shaping out to be. About Audrey Wildwood, though..."

"Now there's a character." Gibbs mused. "What about her?"

"Ziva's already doing a background check on her, but she also seems to be holding on to an idea that Audrey is possibly sleeping with Eli."

"DiNozzo did tell me that they met in Tel Aviv last summer, but what brought Ziva to this conclusion?"

Jenny ran her fingers through her hair. "She knows for a fact that Eli has a picture of himself with Audrey at the Jordan River. It's a sacred place, yes, but if you're a local, it's more the kind of place that you bring someone you care about."

Gibbs promptly raised an eyebrow. "Rules thirty-nine, and thirty-nine a, Jen."

Almost immediately, Jenny fought the urge to roll her eyes at her former teacher. "I know: 'there is no such thing as a coincidence,' and 'there is no such thing as a small world,' but Leroy, _please."_

"I'll keep an eye on Ziva, and an ear out for Audrey. Don't worry." Gibbs kissed Jenny's cheek, and grinned when he felt an elbow roll under his palm. "How are the kids?"

"Jumpy, and in desperate need of names." Jenny griped when she felt a few kicks. "I need something to call them when they're keeping me from focusing on work."

Gibbs kissed her again. "You have my word that we'll talk about those things tonight, after dinner."

"Thank you."

Jenny seemed a little down, so Gibbs pulled her into a hug. She responded by wrapping her arms around him.

"This job…"

Gibbs gave her a back rub. "There are days when it's more than a little nuts."

"But I love what I do, and I could never stop."

"I couldn't, either."

They held each other for just a little bit longer.


	36. 1111 Hearthstone Row

By the end of the work day, long after the Hildebrands had left, things had gone so slow, that not even McGee helping Abby to fix her machines when they broke, for the sake of being annoying, sped things up. It wasn't a pretty picture. The machines were no closer to being repaired when it was quitting time for the day, so when McGee and Abby realized they had to go collect Rubyjane from the daycare wing, they left before anyone stopped to ask for a favor. They'd both had a long day, and were just desperate to get home and relax.

* * *

Rubyjane's favorite part of the day was when she was at her nursery program. She'd been in something similar during the years she'd lived with Onyx, and he was at Fort Runnymede, but that had been free-for-all play time. If anything, it had caused Rubyjane to feel very bored because it wasn't challenging enough. In her new program, she was challenged more, and introduced to things she'd never tried before (her current obsession was puzzles). She couldn't ask for more.

But to Rubyjane, the crowning jewel was that for the first time in her life, she had friends her own age. These ones didn't mind that she spoke slower and signed, and they even found her newly-developed southern twang fascinating because they'd never known her without it. Every day, Rubyjane was overflowing with stories about her friends that she just couldn't wait to share.

But today...

Today was different.

Rubyjane was... _quiet._

* * *

Abby and McGee spotted their daughter straight away when they arrived at her classroom. She was on the other side, in a reading nook, and beside her was a girl about her beside her, who seemed sad that she had to go. Without any prompting, Rubyjane hugged her. This brought a smile to the other girl's face, and she didn't feel too bad after that. Abby and McGee watched the interaction in amazement.

"What was that about?" McGee asked his daughter as he and Abby helped her get ready to go out into the cold.

Rubyjane had been lost in thought, but she looked up at him. "What was _what,_ daddy?"

"The hug you just gave to your buddy."

"She was feeling the mean purples."

McGee fought back a mad desire to laugh: purple was one of Rubyjane's favorite colors, but she was mixing it in with a line from _Breakfast At Tiffany's._

"What was she feeling the mean purples about?"

Rubyjane sighed heavily. "Stuff."

"Would you like to talk about it?"

"Uh-uh."

Abby was unable to hold back an inquiry of her own. "Which of your friends was that? Holland? Charley?"

 _"Annalynn,_ mommy." said Rubyjane as she looked to her. "She's new."

"From where?"

Rubyjane thought about it. "I think she said Japan. That's a place?"

"Yep!" Abby nodded. "Way across the ocean!"

"Okay. What's for dinner?"

Abby was thrown by the abrupt change in tracks, but she stayed with it. "I don't know, but I'm sure we'll figure something out by the time we get home."

Rubyjane took her mother's hand and just nodded. She was already lost in thought again.

* * *

Even after dinner had been had, Rubyjane was yet lost in her own world. Nobody could get her to talk, but Abby was determined, so when she saw her sitting alone on the living room sofa, she seized her chance.

"Ruby," Abby said, sitting beside her. "You've been super quiet all night. Do you have a tummy ache?"

She shook her head. "No."

"Then was there someone being mean to you?"

Rubyjane shook her head again and then spoke with emphasis. "To _Annalynn."_

"And that's the new friend from your class. Will you tell me what happened?"

"The boys were being so mean to her just because she was new, and…"

Rubyjane stopped talking suddenly, and she almost looked sheepish.

Abby raised an eyebrow. "And were _you_ being mean, were you?"

"No, but…" she squirmed slightly in her seat. "I have a question."

"Fire away, Miss Ruby."

"I-is tattle-telling always a bad thing?" she asked nervously.

"No. Not all the time."

Rubyjane exhaled a noisy sigh of relief. "Good, because you know Jagger and Rocco?"

These were the names of the little boys who bothered her from time to time.

"Yep. I know about them."

"They wouldn't stop teasing, so Charley asked them to stop, and," Rubyjane gave another noisy exhale. "Holland stayed with Annalynn."

Abby was impressed by the sophistication of the plan her daughter was describing to her. "What did _you_ do?"

"I told Miss Morgan what Jagger and Rocco were doing."

"What did Miss Morgan do?"

"She made them stop and say sorry. Then they went to do something else."

"What happened after that?"

Rubyjane grinned. "Me and Holland and Charley played with Annalynn. Then Holland and Charley went home with their daddies and mommies."

"You did good today—becoming Annalynn's friend was a very, very nice thing to do. Are you _sure_ you're only three?"

Rubyjane realized she was being messed with, so she burst into giggles. "Yes! I am!"

"Just checking." Abby winked at her. "Hey, do you know _why_ were Jagger and Rocco being mean?"

Rubyjane sighed heavily again. "Annalynn only has a mommy: her daddy was a M—mari—"

"Are you trying to say Marine?" Abby asked gently when Rubyjane got stuck. "Like your Uncle Gibbs?"

"Yes! Annalynn said her daddy was a Marine, and then he went to Heaven." Rubyjane explained. "She only has a mommy, and that's how come Jagger and Rocco picked on her."

"That's really sad." Abby commiserated. "You get how she feels, huh?"

"Yeah… Mommy, is it okay to be sad about my daddy in Heaven? Even if he wasn't nice?"

Abby felt her heart turn a cartwheel, and she hugged Rubyjane close. She didn't talk much about her old life, but on the sparse occasions that she did, it was because she would have spent some time ruminating on things. Like she had been today.

"It's _definitely_ okay to be sad about him." Abby kissed Rubyjane on the top of her head. "It'll always be okay."

"Good." Rubyjane locked eyes with Abby once more. "Guess what? Annalynn signs, too!"

"Woah, really?" Abby said in surprise.

"Yep!" Rubyjane tapped her ears. "She has help to hear, and she uses her hands to talk sometimes!"

Abby tapped Rubyjane's nose. "Your new buddy is just like you!"

This particular fact hadn't dawned on Rubyjane, and when it hit her and she understood, she beamed. "Yeah! Annalynn _is_ just like me!"

Right before Abby's eyes, Rubyjane resumed her usual animated manner—a big weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

"I feel better now." she told Abby sincerely.

"I'm so glad. Is it okay if I have another hug?"

Rubyjane happily indulged Abby's request, and then wandered out of the room. She skipped past McGee, who had entered to look for Abby. When he found her and sat beside her, she gave him a smile that would have turned his legs to jelly, had he still been standing.

"What's up?" McGee asked of his wife-to-be. "I just saw RJ, and she looks like she's back to normal, but now it's _you_ that's in La La Land."

"She's a special kid, Tim, with the biggest heart of any kid I've ever known. We also just had a talk, and I learned about what's been eating her."

McGee settled in. This was going to be good. "And what was it?"

"The kid we saw her hugging is named Annalynn, and from the sound of things, she only has a mother. They just transferred here from Japan."

"Wow. Any idea about Annalynn's dad?"

Abby sat back on the sofa, too. "He was a Marine, and he went to Heaven because of the war."

"That's too bad. RJ really understands how Annalynn feels, huh? Our kid has the memory of an elephant, and a deep capacity for empathy."

"Oh, yes, and speaking of those handy traits, RJ wanted to know if it was okay to be sad about Onyx."

McGee's own heart did jumping jacks because he'd been expecting Abby to say anything else. He'd never liked that Onyx Clarkson had shown emotional neglect to Rubyjane, so he had resented him for it, but if Rubyjane could have the kind of thought process to ask those kinds of questions, then it was time for him to do some reevaluating.

He let out a breath. "You told her it's okay, right?"

"Yes," Abby confirmed. "And I thought she was going to cry because of how relieved she was."

McGee ran his fingers through his hair. "RJ sure feels things deeply."

"She really does. RJ even said that she chose to be friends with Annalynn because she signs, and has hearing aids, too, but there _is_ more."

By now, McGee was hanging on to every word. "What, though? All that's missing from this equation are RJ's little friends, Holland and Charley, or Jagger and Rocco."

"Actually, the rest of what RJ told me concerns her, Annalynn, _and_ those four."

McGee was so surprised by this that he could only listen as Abby retold the story. When she reached the end, he was as impressed as she had been.

"How did we get so lucky that such a spectacular human being fell out of the sky, and into your life and mine so that she could be our kid?"

"I don't think that's a question we're ever going to know the answer to, but that's okay." Abby kissed his cheek. "I'm proud of RJ for figuring out how to be a friend and a peacemaker when the earliest years of her life totally sucked."

"I'm proud, too." McGee replied. "I need to find her now and give her a hug, but…"

"But what?" Abby asked him curiously.

McGee motioned towards his fiancée's rounded middle. "How is Riversong doing?"

Abby leaned back against the sofa and gave her middle a rub. Even though Riversong wasn't due to grace them with his or her presence for a few more months, the little one was incredibly jumpy, and Abby felt every single movement. That evening alone, she'd had to put up with several hours of her offspring's hyperactivity. It had driven her bonkers.

"River is finally still—I think she kicked herself into sleepiness, and I want to keep it that way. This morning, she woke up from a nap just because I sneezed extra hard."

"Then is there anything else you need?"

Abby pointed to her knitting basket and the TV remote, both just out of reach. "Those, please!"

McGee handed them over, and then gave Abby a kiss on the cheek before leaving the room. Searching for his daughter was the next item on his agenda.

* * *

To no great surprise, Rubyjane had relocated to Sarah's bedroom. She was on the bed, and Sarah and Clementine were on either side of her. Scout the dog was laying flat on her back and kicking her legs as Rubyjane brushed her fur. The toddler was gobsmacked that her had her little canine friend under a spell.

"I think she likes it." Rubyjane said in a daze.

"Oh, yes. Being brushed is one of Scout's most favorite things." Clementine confirmed. "Go back up to her neck now. Do you know where that is?"

Rubyjane bobbed her head and tapped Clementine's neck before brushing the corresponding spot on the dog. Scout proceeded to fall asleep.

This was how McGee found them when he knocked on Sarah's doorframe.

Rubyjane lit up when she saw him. She always did, but after having been relieved of the burdens she'd been shouldering for most of the day, she was more than cheerful. To that end, she blew her daddy a kiss.

"Hi!" Rubyjane pointed to Scout, and then spoke in a stage whisper. "My baby puppy fell asleep!"

In taking care not to wake the dog, McGee signed to Rubyjane, asking if she wanted to play. She said yes immediately, so McGee lifted her off the bed, and he closed the door behind them as they left.

Sarah leaned back on her bed. "What a crazy twenty-four hours."

"Seriously." nodded Clementine. "All of the gala drama, including the stuff with your parents, and now Ian and Clark are both dead."

"I'm sorry that Clark is gone, but only because there's Julia and the kids left behind." Sarah said honestly. "I won't miss the passes that he made at me."

"So then it's a good thing I didn't know him?"

"Very."

"And what about Ian?" Clementine looked over at Sarah. "I put the pieces together, after what went down at the gala, that…"

"He's the father of my kid? You can say it." said Sarah. "You can say it because it's true."

"Then what _about_ him?"

Sarah shrugged. "I don't think I ever knew him well enough to know if he would stay because of this kind of situation. Clem, I don't if he has parents or siblings, if they're even alive, or where they would be."

"But Ian really burned you, and then you slapped him."

"Yeah, so there's that. Maybe we _would_ have been better off without him, anyway… I _am_ sorry he's dead, though."

"Of course. I have no doubt."

"But at least there was no pressure to stick things out with him." Sarah groaned dramatically. "Any way that I talk about it, I sound like a terrible human being. Let's just talk about something else."

Clementine cast around for something else for a new subject. "Hey, did you see Audrey at work today?"

Sarah sat up, and her tone was one of amusement. "The correspondent from foreign affairs who always dresses like a cartoon character, or exotic bird?"

"That's the one."

Clementine absently stroked Scout as she woke up, moved closer to her, and fell back to sleep. "Isn't she off to Japan soon?"

"Yes. When I bumped into her today in the cafeteria, she nearly dropped everything she was holding, looked at me like I was the ghost of Jacob Marley, and then left, very quickly."

"What the hell?" Sarah muttered. "Audrey has always been an odd bird, but that's different, even for her. Do you think she's caught up in what's happening?"

This time, Clementine was the one to shrug. "It sounds like she knows a part of it, but I hope it isn't anything dire, since two people are already dead."

"Yeah—two people that I knew. What if something happens to us?"

"We live in the house of two people who work at NCIS, plus we know many more NCIS people—including the director—and all of them would readily protect us."

"That's a good point. We'll be fine." Sarah suddenly wrinkled the bridge of her nose. "I can feel the baby wiggling again, but I think some work will keep her distracted."

"Work?!" protested Clementine. "It's well after eight, and we're at _home!"_

Sarah smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress. "But Avalon wants an answer, and she'd be impressed that we made a decision three days ahead of the time she set for us."

Before their visitors had arrived at their office that morning, Sarah and Clementine been trying to narrow down where they were going to travel for their next project. They had a few ideas of destinations, and of things they could publish a piece about, but they had a deadline of three more days to come up with a plan. After coming back to The Daily Trumpeter from NCIS, they still hadn't made much more headway.

"Here you go."

Clementine had retrieved their file folder full of maps and the lists of their choices thus far, and was laying them in front of Sarah. She moved Scout on to her lap to make more space.

"We still have Louisiana as an option, right?" asked Sarah, already rifling through the maps. "Going to see your parents would be perfect right now."

They both knew that that was because the elder Sciutos treated her like she was their own, and they could give her a place to land again while she was fixing her broken heart.

"Being with my parents really _would_ be perfect," Clementine agreed. "But let's keep looking."

It still didn't take Sarah and Clementine more than an hour to come to the unanimous decision that they were going back the Big Easy again, and they were happy.

By the time all of the occupants of 1111 Hearthstone Row had fallen asleep that night, they were each pleased to be momentarily free of the troubles awaiting them in the world outside.


	37. Audrey And Eli

The next morning at NCIS found McGee doing some research on Audrey Wildwood for Gibbs. He wanted to give Abby a head start on fixing her broken machines. McGee had been at it for twenty minutes when Tony's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"I wonder what her hurry is…"

McGee tore his attention away from his computer monitor. "Whose hurry?"

Tony pointed up to the catwalk. "Your future wife's."

And sure enough, McGee saw Abby hurrying along the catwalk in the direction of the director's office.

"That's curious." he mused. "Maybe she fixed the machines already."

"Whatever it is," chimed in Ziva. "I am sure Abby will avail us in due time. After all, it is not every day that she goes directly to the director's office to give an update."

The officer looked around. One person was missing from their group.

"And where is Gibbs?"

McGee returned to his monitor. "MTAC, with Director Shepard. I think they're having a powwow about what we're going to do today. I don't know about you two, but I'm going to keep working so that I'm not empty-handed when boss comes back."

Ziva and Tony heard this and took it as a personal challenge to see who could complete their own tasks the fastest. Needless to say, things were quiet amongst the trio quite quickly. But only for a further five minutes.

This time, Ziva was the one distracted, and by the dinging of the elevator, of all things. Even in spite of Tony's and McGee's antics, she didn't have trouble focusing, but for some reason, she felt compelled to look towards the elevator. When she did, her heart skipped a beat.

 _"Abba?"_

At Ziva's cry, both Tony and McGee paused in their work, but they stood out of respect for Eli. What puzzled them and Ziva was that Audrey Wildwood was accompanying him.

Eli laughed softly when he saw how the men had reacted to his arrival. "Do sit back down. The gesture is appreciated and acknowledged, but I am here to speak to my daughter."

Tony motioned to Ziva's desk. "She's right there, sir."

Eli and Audrey approached her desk.

"Shalom, abba." Ziva said, still in a tone of surprise. "I take it that this is Audrey?"

Eli nodded. "Yes."

Audrey held a hand out. "Hi, Ziva; I'm pleased to meet you, circumstances being what they are."

Ziva returned the handshake, but was for some reason, feeling suspicious. "Is there something wrong?"

"I don't know how to phrase it, exactly, but I have some things to share—hopefully with your team leader, and the director. You should hear these things, too."

"That can be arranged." Ziva got onto her crutches and headed over to her visitors. "They are both upstairs, but we will ask Director Shepard's receptionist to page them."

Audrey agreed to this, as did Eli, but Tony and McGee also stood. Ziva arched an eyebrow at them.

"Uh," McGee stammered. "We're going to see what's up with Abby."

"That's right." Tony agreed, cottoning on. "She might have cracked the case."

"Oh, alright. Come on."

Together, they and their guests boarded the internal lift and headed for the second floor.

* * *

Cynthia Householder had been the secretary/personal assistant to Jenny Shepard for as long as she'd been in power as the head of NCIS. She'd clerked at other federal agencies in the past, but this place was by far her favorite.

On any given day, she was arranging meetings or appointments for the director that regarded important government-related issues, or equally important individuals. Every now and again, those other individuals were from foreign countries. Today, in addition to business as usual, she was overseeing the deliveries of all of the congratulatory flowers for the director (word had spread fast about the engagement), as well as working on another pressing project for the director.

One thing that Cynthia could count on daily, however, was the members of NCIS' Major Critical Response Team, as well as the attached members, coming in and out of Director Shepard's office like it was a thoroughfare. Though it was like herding cats (especially where Gibbs was concerned), Cynthia loved her job because everyone kept her on her toes.

Her point was proven when Abby burst in, very unannounced.

"Cynthia, h—oh, sorry…"

Cynthia had very nearly jumped out of her skin, because she had been in the middle of organizing the director's itinerary for an upcoming trip to New York.

Recovering from her jolt, Cynthia smiled and waved a hand of dismissal. "It's fine, Abby. What do you need?"

"To talk to Gibbs—I know that it isn't your job to keep tabs on him, but I'm looking for the man, and he isn't answering his phone. When that happens, it's usually because he's having a chat with her." Abby's eyes flickered towards Jenny's closed office door.

"Well," Cynthia checked her watch. "Director Shepard had a conference call with an associate in Johannesburg, and Special Agent Gibbs followed her, so they should both still be in MTAC."

"Why didn't I think of that?"

Abby stomped her foot in frustration, and then promptly let out a groan: the baby had responded by kicking furiously. The little one had been sleeping, and was none too pleased about being woken up.

"Riversong, stop it!"

Almost as soon as the words were out of Abby's mouth, her eyes widened as she realized she'd accidentally spilled hers and McGee's secret. She looked at Cynthia sheepishly.

"I didn't mean for you to hear that—Tim and I don't know the baby's gender yet, but Riversong is the name we've been using. We've just been keeping it a secret."

"I am a vault, but for what it's worth, Riversong is a really nice name."

Abby beamed. "Thank you!"

"And I've also been there with a tricky memory. Pregnancy brain was always a bummer for me, but my husband helped me when I had my more major blank-outs."

"You have a family?" Abby squawked. "I never knew that."

Cynthia winked. "You just never asked. My kids' names are William and Sunday. They're ten and eight."

"Aww. Those are nice names and fun ages. How long have you been married?"

"Twelve years, come July, to a wonderful man called Felix."

Before Cynthia could say anything else, they were joined by more people—in the form of McGee, Tony, Ziva, a man who she was sure was Eli David, and a young woman whom she had never seen before.

"What are all of you doing up here?" Cynthia asked them.

There followed a symphony of overlapping voices, although they stopped immediately when she made a slashing movement with her hands.

"One at a time!"

"We," Tony gestured between McGee and himself. "Came to see why Abby had come up here, because she doesn't, usually."

"Oh!" Abby chirped, remembering her original errand. "I have a clue for you guys, I also _really_ need to talk to Gibbs. The punchline is that he and the director are both in MTAC right now."

Eli stepped forward. "I don't think we've been properly introduced before—I am Eli David, and with me, is my companion, Audrey Wildwood."

"Nice to meet you both." Cynthia shook his hand, and Audrey's when she offered it. "How can I help you today?"

"We are here because would like to speak with the director."

"There's no need to wait—here I am."

Jenny came around the corner at that moment, and into Cynthia's breezeway. Gibbs was at her side, and they'd arrived just in time to hear Eli.

"Shalom, Eli." Jenny said, immediately recalling from the previous day Gibbs' words about Eli and Audrey showing up. "Why did you need to see me, old friend?"

"We can wait. I think Abby should speak now."

Jenny and Gibbs both turned to the scientist, expectant.

Without wavering her gaze, she said, "I fixed my machines, and they were able to identify the substance, finally."

"Very good, Abs." Jenny praised her.

"Not only did _that_ happen, but," she showed her a notecard. "I also wrote it all down, including the local address where it will most likely be located."

Gibbs turned to Tony and McGee.

"Go follow Abby's lead." he ordered.

Tony began to protest. "Oh, but boss—"

"You wanted to see what Abby was up to, DiNozzo. This is it."

Abby tucked the notecard into Tony's front pocket. "Cheer up, Tony. I'll ride with you guys in the elevator."

As they headed out, Jenny turned back to Cynthia. "How long has everyone been waiting?"

"Only five minutes, director."

"Do I have anything immediately pressing on my schedule?"

"Not for another hour."

"Thank you. Should anyone come here, to call for me until then, please have them wait or call me back."

"I understand."

"Thank you." Jenny said again. "We'll be over in the conference room."

Cynthia nodded. "Yes, director."

When they had all cleared out, Cynthia resumed her task from before, although with a smile on her face. As always, this job kept her on her toes.

* * *

Down the hallway, Jenny presided at the head of the long conference table, with Gibbs and Ziva at her right side, and Eli and Audrey opposite them, on the left.

"From what I understand," Jenny said to her guests. "You two are at least friends?"

Audrey flushed red. "Something between that, and a newly-established item."

Eli nodded. "This is correct."

In her chair, Ziva fought every impulse to also turn red. It wasn't unlike her father to blindside her with developments about his personal life, but he still hadn't seen him with someone other than her mother since her mother had passed away five years ago. If anything, she would have words with one of them later.

"From what I understand, Audrey," said Ziva. "When you met with my colleagues, you grew spooked when you learned of the death of Lance Corporal Ian Baranski, and then you _fled_ upon connecting Sarah Cartwright to Special Agent McGee. What do you know?"

Audrey sighed. "I'm a foreign correspondent for the paper, but all kinds of people approach me because I'm the only person on my floor who is under thirty. Somehow, Ian got my information, and then called me last month when he was up here from Louisiana last month with his boss."

"Hildebrand."

"Yes. Ian came to me to say that he had dirt on Hildebrand, and we were even going to meet, but he hand to go back home before we had the chance."

Gibbs interjected, "Did he say why?"

"Missus Hildebrand was feeling unwell, and really needed help at home. Ian felt so bad for not being able to meet that he sent flowers to my office."

"That was a nice thing for him to do. Talk to us about how you made the connection to Sarah."

Once again, Audrey found herself sighing. "She's been working at the paper since this past summer, and she has a partner now—Clementine, like the fruit."

"But…?" Gibbs prompted.

"I see them around the building, and the one thing I know for sure about _Sarah_ is that she's really proud of having a brother who is an NCIS agent. I remember her stories because I've always wanted a brother." Audrey said. "Thanks to Sarah's tales, I also remember her brother's name. Plus, Ian _did_ mention both Sarah and her brother."

This threw Gibbs for a loop, so he said, "In what fashion?"

"To say that it sounds like Tim is a good man, and that he's glad that Sarah left Louisiana because he didn't want her getting mixed up in what he knew about. He also said that he was sorry that he had to be a jerk to her."

Beside Audrey, Eli was very calm because he knew that his part in the story was coming. Gibbs, Jenny, and Ziva were each looking at the journalist, perplexed.

"People tell me things all the time because they trust me." Audrey said in a tone of backpedaling. "I just had to put Ian out of my mind because I had a trip to Costa Rica that I was about to go on."

"But then something jogged your memory." Ziva posited. "What was it?"

"This." Audrey pulled out a letter-sized envelope from her purse and set it on the table. "I don't know what's inside, but Ian gave it to me to give to Sarah… just in case. But, uh, I misplaced it for awhile."

"Because you were preparing to go to Puerto Rico."

"Yes, and now that Ian _is_ gone, it seems only right to make sure that it gets to Sarah."

"We will make sure that she gets it. Thank you."

Audrey nodded in acknowledgment and then turned to Jenny. "There is another thing, m'am."

"I'm all ears."

"I was taken delivery of a threat last night. It was fixed to my door." This time, Audrey pulled out a piece of paper out of her purse and laid it beside Sarah's envelope on the tabletop. "I've had threats made against me before because of what I do for a living, but this is different."

"I'll say—it got under your skin. Why?"

"Read what it says first, m'am."

"Alright." Jenny put on her bifocals. "It says _'Quit poking around, otherwise, you'll meet the same end as Clark and Ian!'_ There are three exclamation marks at the end, and a set of initials."

"What are they?" Gibbs wanted to know.

"SM. Does that mean anything to you?"

"No."

"Nor to me." Ziva said, feeling disappointed.

It didn't ring any bells for Audrey or Eli, either, so Jenny tried another angle with the journalist.

"I appreciate your honesty, Audrey, and you're not in trouble, but did this note get under your skin because it was at your door?"

Audrey shook her head. "It got under my skin because it sounds like whoever this is, they're knocking people off now. First Ian, and now the governor? I only know what Ian told me, because other than that, I've been too busy with work to do any 'poking around,' as this person said."

"So you have no other knowledge of what's going on?"

"I don't, m'am, no."

"Then why didn't you come when you first got the note, or else recovered Sarah's letter?"

Feeling very much in the hot seat, Audrey gave a small squirm. "I just recovered the letter yesterday, right before I left my office."

"What time was it?"

"Nearly midnight." Audrey said after a moment of recollection. "I checked to see if Sarah and Clementine were in office, but they'd gone, so I kept the letter because I thought it's the kind of thing that should be handed off in person. Does that make sense?"

"Yes, it does."

"Good, because when it was about twelve-thirty when I got back to my apartment and found that," she pointed to her own missive. "On my door."

"Then when did you connect with Director David?"

Audrey turned red again, so Eli stepped in and explained things patiently.

"Audrey was worried, and she did not want to be alone, so she called me. She spent the night with me at the hotel, and then it was all that I could do to get her to come here today."

Ziva inserted herself into the conversation, speaking to her father. "Forgive me, abba, but I thought you were in town to attend a conference, yes?"

"I am," Eli consoled his offspring. "Although conferences come and go, Ziva. Looking after someone I care for is more important."

Gibbs could see the fire burning in Ziva's eyes at these words—clearly, she wanted to find out just how close the duo really was.

He said to Audrey, "NCIS can keep you safe—assign some agents to protect you, tail you."

"No." she decided.

"No?" Gibbs echoed. "Are you sure? It's no trouble."

"I'm quite sure, Special Agent Gibbs, but thank you. I've said everything I that I know on this, and I honestly have no idea what Ian and Clark knew, or were also doing. I came here because it's the right thing to do."

"That is definitely true. Thank you."

Audrey nodded once. "I'm not even that scared anymore—I feel better now."

"That's good to hear."

Approving of how things were wrapping themselves up, Jenny looked around at everyone. "It looks like we've covered everything now. Is there anything else?"

"No, m'am." responded Audrey as Eli also shook his head.

Jenny stood, and the others rose, too.

"Then that's that." she shook hands with their guests. "Thank you for coming in. I'm sure Ziva would like to show you to the elevators."

Realizing that she'd been given a task, Ziva followed through for her CO, but Audrey stopped them when they were by the big picture window that overlooked the water. Eli heeded the situation and moved away to elevators to wait.

"Ziva," Audrey began. "I know that I just dropped from the ceiling, but about your father…"

"I already knew that you two spent time together in Israel, and that you even went to the Jordan River together. Do you know what that means? Going to a place like that… with a man?"

"I know _exactly_ what it means, and I liked it. So did he. Do you know how I met Eli?"

"During an interview for a project in Tel Aviv. You grew into friends?"

"Best friends, but yes."

"And you... care for him, do you, Audrey?"

"I do. It's new, but I really do." Audrey said honestly. "Next week, I'm flying to Tokyo for a month. When I get back, I'll be here for two months, and then after that, I'm going back to Tel Aviv. I'm going to be there for _eight_ months."

"Oh, my goodness. Will you be staying with my father?"

"That remains to be seen for the time being. In the meantime, I was wondering if you and I could get together for lunch, or something before I go to Tokyo."

Ziva smiled at her and nodded; Audrey Wildwood was shaping out to be a very likable person when she wasn't deathly afraid of the situation.

"I would like that, yes." they exchanged business cards. "Take care of my father."

"I will, Ziva. I promise you that."

After Ziva saw Audrey and Eli off, her mind was already swimming with possibilities of what could become of the two, if things grew any more serious than they were. It made her head hurt. When she turned around, she saw Jenny and Gibbs watching her, like concerned parents.

"You okay?" Jenny asked when she reached them. "Eli blindsided you."

"As is his way. I will be fine—I think I just need to have a chat with Abby."

Moving forward, Gibbs tucked Sarah's letter and Audrey's note, both in evidence bags now, into one of the pockets on Ziva's crutches.

"Looks like you're in luck," he said. "Because we need someone to get those pieces of evidence down to her."

"Then off I go."

Ziva bobbed her head as a good-bye, and then headed off to the elevator that would take her down to the lab. She couldn't wait to tell Abby all about what had just happened, and she also hoped that Tony and McGee would have as much luck as they'd just had.

* * *

 **Sorry this was so long U^_^ everything is in the order of the order of things, I promise. This was just hard to write.**


	38. Turning Tables

During the journey to the lab, Ziva's head started to swim.

Though neither of them had said the exact words, it was clear that Audrey and Eli were sleeping together, and even dating. They made each other happy.

And I _did_ just agree to be Audrey's friend, even though she fell out of the sky, Ziva reminded herself.

But what a perfect time _to_ drop out of the sky...

Ziva was pleased her father had a companion, but she sincerely hoped that Audrey wasn't involved in the darker side of the case. It was already both so vexing and perplexing that the last thing they needed was to learn of Audrey breaking Eli's heart. Ziva had no desire to pick up the pieces again.

But there would be hell to pay if it came to pass once more.

* * *

"Ziva?"

Her feet had followed the beaten track so well that she was quite surprised to see that she had already reached the lab. She greeted her friend as she set her things down on the main table. Being in this room always made her happy.

"Hi, Abby."

"What are you thinking?"Abby asked.

"I am thinking quite a lot of things."

"Things like what?" they sat down together. "I'm all ears."

"My father just came by, and with a journalist named Audrey Wildwood. She is a little younger than I am."

"Where does Audrey work? The Daily Trumpeter?"

"Yes, actually, and they both knew things about the case."

The officer relayed everything that had happened, and even why she'd made the journey down to the lab in the first place. For good measure, she even explained about how Audrey and Eli had met, and about the picture they'd taken to the Jordan River. Abby hung on to every word.

"That's a heck of a lot you just unpacked, but something tells me that you're still hung up on the new couple."

"I am." Ziva admitted. "My father's track record with women is peculiar—even his encounter with Ari's mother was a one-time-thing."

"Then what happened? Eli have an affair with a woman from work?

"Yes. That is _exactly_ what happened, and her name was Orli Elbaz."

Taken aback that she'd guessed the truth, Abby said, "What was your mother's response to it?"

"She took us away until it was all over, but the most important thing is that Orli left, the rest of us returned home, and my family was intact again." Ziva grew a little sad. "Then, some years later, it was just my father and I because my mother and sister both died within a week of each other, and my brother left home for good. Orli even came sniffing around almost two years later."

Abby winced. "That's not nice. Did Eli respond to her feelings?"

"He did, but she broke his heart not long after by accepting a new position in Los Angeles. Coming back to the present now, I am concerned that Audrey could break my father's heart, maybe even the same way Orli did."

"How's that?"

"Audrey has upcoming assignments in Japan, and then Tel Aviv."

"Wow." Abby steepled her fingers. "Now you're concerned that something might distract her while she's in Asia?"

"I am." Ziva confessed. "Audrey is going to Tokyo for a month, and then Israel for eight."

"Wow." Abby repeated. "And the nature of their bond is romantic, right?"

"Mhm, and they have described each other as best friends..."

"But...?"

Ziva exhaled noisily. _"But,_ Audrey stayed with him last night, so I will not be surprised they become housemates when they are in the same city again. That is how in love they are."

"Sounds like it."

Ziva ran her fingers through her hair. "To be clear, Abby, I wish Audrey no ill will."

"Of course not. You wouldn't have accepted the offer to be friends if you did."

"Exactly. She is also quite pleasant and has shown _me_ nothing but pleasantness. However…"

Abby interjected, "Is she pregnant?"

Ziva shuddered—this was exactly what she had been thinking. "No. She would have said something."

Abby continued on her thought train. "So then this is all still a lot, and she's involved with your _dad."_

"Correct. What do I do?"

Humbled that Ziva was asking her advice on such a personal matter, Abby stopped to think.

"All I can say," she finally said. "Is that you should just take it all one day at a time. Audrey hasn't done anything bad to you, has she?"

"Not at all." Ziva said. "My father, Gibbs, or the director would have intervened."

"Of course they would. They're all protective of your heart like that." Abby gave Ziva's hand a pat. "You're also not one to let your father's actions define you."

"You are correct." Ziva said with a note of pride. "Staying at NCIS, falling in love, and starting a family has demonstrated this."

"Yes, and you are becoming your own person, Ziva. Does anybody else know about this part of your life back home?"

"Just Jenny."

"Jenny what?" said a third voice.

Abby and Ziva jumped. They'd been so wrapped up in their conversation that they hadn't heard the elevator, or its dinging. The friends were surprised to see both Jenny and Gibbs entering the room. Now they were both looking expectant.

Abby scrambled for an answer. "I, uh…"

Ziva was more composed in her own response. "I was just having a chat with Abby about what transpired upstairs with abba and Audrey, and then I said that because you know me so well, director, you know a _lot_ concerning my home life in Israel."

"Totally true." Jenny confirmed. "Are you feeling better?"

"I am."

"Very good. That makes me happy to hear." Jenny turned to Abby. "Have you started analyzing what Ziva brought?"

"No, m'am, but I will hop on that."

Ziva looked from one CO to the other. "Is there anything else?"

Gibbs nodded and also focused on Abby. "Will you dust the envelope of Sarah's letter for prints first?"

"Sure, and guess what, Gibbs? I just got this new software that will make fingerprint dusting un—"

Abby stopped when Gibbs and Jenny were meeting her with "Hurry up, and just get to the point!" looks.

"Not important." she stood and stretched. "What I'm going to will just take a few moments. Excuse me…"

They followed Abby to her work station and watched as she removed the envelope from the evidence bag and set it facedown on the scanner beside the monitor. The software Abby had mentioned kicked into high gear immediately. It scanned the envelope, found all the fingerprints, and identified them just as fast.

Gibbs cleared his throat. "Abs, how much has the software set us back?"

"It's been covered." she said, nervously avoiding eye contact.

"By _who?"_

"I—"

Jenny cut across them both. "By the _agency._ Why? Do have the pocket change to cover it?"

Things began devolving into a silly argument after that, so Ziva rolled her eyes and made her way forward to the work station. The main monitor had a window open with a message about search results being available. With Gibbs and Jenny arguing, and Abby looking like she wanted to blend into the wall, nobody noticed Ziva hit the confirmation button.

Immediately, the first result was displayed, and the officer grew bemused.

"Is this _real?"_ she murmured.

The other three looked at the screen, too.

Abby just shook her head. "I so can't wait to cuddle with Ruby later. Here's to another long day."

Jenny pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why can't we just have regular cases anymore? And where are _you_ going?"

Gibbs was already making tracks to exit Abby's lab. "To get in front of this pebble before it gets too much momentum and becomes a goddamn boulder!"

"And _what,_ Leroy, led you to this epiphany? Your gut?"

"It's like you know me, Jen!"

And he was gone on the elevator.

Jenny, Abby, and Ziva looked back at the screen and groaned as one.

* * *

Chasing Abby's lead, McGee and Tony found themselves in a part of town that neither of them normally went to. One look at Tony had McGee rolling his eyes when they'd reached their destination.

"Get it out of your system. Now."

Tony let out an exuberant childlike sound. "Come on, McBoring—tell me you've seen the old horror flick, _Massage Parlor Murders!"_

"You and I both know that horror is more Abby's lane than mine."

"Yeah, yeah..." Tony grumbled.

"Now, _please—_ we're here!"

Not far from the downtown area of the local metropolis, they found themselves in front of a quaint, unassuming building on an equally quaint, equally unassuming street.

Yet, Tony had burst into laughter because of the sign. It read, 'FULL MOON MASSAGE PARLOR' in gold lettering. Encircling the name was a dragon blowing smoke. Once again, McGee rolled his eyes because he already knew that his partner was already cooking up a new round of remarks.

Rather gleefully, Tony said, "I mean, where do I even _start?"_

"How about," said a new voice. "By acting your _age,_ instead of your damn _shoe size?!"_

This was immediately followed by a head slap.

Thoroughly confused, Tony turned around. Gibbs was there, arms crossed and eyebrows raised.

"Boss?" Tony said in bewilderment. "How the hell did you— When—"

Gibbs continued to give him 'the look,' so Tony sobered up and made himself appear as professional as possible. The older man gave a nod of approval and looked from one protégé to the other.

"You good, McGee?"

"Yeah, boss." he moved closer to Gibbs and gave him a thumb's up. "I'm all good."

"That's what I want to hear." he opened the door. "Now let's go inside."

The trio entered the building, to be immersed in the reception room of a massage parlor. Unlike most of the massage parlors or other such places that their job had led them to from time to time, the decoration style here was so steeped in the Chinese culture that just for a moment, it felt like they'd been taken to the country itself.

It also helped that the atmosphere of the waiting room was in low lighting and very smoky because there was a handful of incense sticks burning. Tony didn't give it a second thought because he and Ziva lit incense sticks at home. Gibbs didn't give the incense a second thought, either, but Tony let slip a small smirk when McGee started sneezing—he was was already getting an idea for a prank.

As McGee struggled to get a sneezing fit under control while adjusting to the dim lighting, he noticed an older man in a terry cloth robe and cheap slippers walked past them in a hallway to their left. He looked like he was having a nice time. Only for a beat, McGee wondered if the woman accompanying him was a 'happy endings' masseuse.

His thoughts were dashed when the man caught sight of Tony, double-backed, and walked right up to him. Tony suddenly looked like he wanted Zeus to smite him.

"Hey, Junior!" the man said by way of greeting. "How's it going?"

Holding back a sigh, Tony responded, "Hey, dad."


	39. And So On

**Thank you, HC, for checking to make sure I'm still alive ;)**

* * *

At work, McGee often found himself the victim of pranks.

Abby could always best him, but pregnancy had mellowed her out, and she had recently dialed back somewhat. Ziva was all about playing the long game. Even Kate pulled brilliant tricks. Ducky was not immune to pranks, but he preferred to watch others' handiwork play out. Cynthia was also known to play along from time to time. Jimmy had surprised them all by turning out be very excellent at orchestrating tricks. McGee had learned that the hard way. Pranking Jenny was akin to taking a bat to a beehive. Pranking Gibbs was tantamount to a suicide mission.

So... that left McGee, by default.

He had lost count of how many times he'd been pranked since first joining NCIS, and he'd certainly lost count of how many times Tony in particular had been the mastermind. But he didn't really care anymore. Tricks and practical jokes were just a way of life (and a form of affection alternative to head-slapping) when you were part of NCIS' Major Critical Response Team.

But because Tony often prided himself in his trickster ways, and loved to gloat about how excellent he was, it was _very_ hard to pull the wool over his eyes.

Leave it to his own father to turn the tables.

Outstanding, McGee thought. This is going to be good.

* * *

"Seriously, dad." Tony sounded like he was trying not to grow as exasperated as he wanted to. "What are you doing here?"

"Getting a massage." Senior said cheekily before heaving a dramatic sigh. "Or at least I _was…"_

He turned to his attendant, and met her with a sheepish expression.

"I'm sorry that we have to cut this short." he apologized to her. "Why don't you take this, to make up for it?"

Senior handed her a fifty dollar bill from a pocket of his robe.

"Thank you, sir. You are very generous." the attendant pocketed the money. "Is there anything else you require?"

"Maybe go get whoever it is that runs this place? I have a feeling that my son and his comrades need to speak to them."

"Very good, sir." the attendant gave a deep bow. "I will be right back."

As she headed away, Tony coughed. "Will you please go put on some clothes, dad? We have some questions to ask you, but it would be _so_ much easier if you looked like a human being."

Senior was dying to know who Tony's friends were, but decided that he had a point about wearing actual clothes. The man was back and dressed in record timing. Tony, Gibbs, and McGee hadn't left the parlor waiting room.

"Okay, Junior, I did what you wanted." Senior told his offspring. "Who's this you've got with you?"

Tony let the others do the talking, on that part.

Gibbs took a step forward and showed the older man his badge as they shook hands. "I'm Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, sir."

"Oh, you don't have to call me sir. Just Senior."

"Copy that, Senior." Gibbs turned to McGee and arched an eyebrow. "Later the same day…"

The young man remembered his place and centered himself, shaking hands with Tony's father. "Right. I'm Special Agent Timothy McGee."

"Nice to meet you. I take it that you work closely with my son?"

McGee nodded. "Yes, and Gibbs is our boss."

Now Senior was giving him an extra hard scrutinizing look. "Hmm..."

"Senior? Everything okay?"

The questions were turned back on him with a new question. "Have we met before?"

"No…?"

Senior continued to study him. "Are you sure? You seem so _familiar…"_

Tony intervened by physically separating them. "He's got that kind of face. Dad, listen, we need to ask you some questions."

"At HQ?"

"Yeah."

"Okay!" Senior chirped. "Who's driving?"

"Me," said Gibbs. "But could you wait over there while we talk to the manager?"

He was pointing to the chairs in the parlor waiting room. Game for an adventure, and quite willing to wait, Senior obliged.

That's when the attendant finally returned, accompanied by the parlor manager. He was a well-dressed, well-manicured man of Asian descent, and though Tony wouldn't have put him past his own age, something still seemed off. Staying on guard was paramount.

"Hello, gentlemen." the manager greeted them smoothly. "What may I do for you?"

Gibbs showed him their credentials. "We're Special Agents Gibbs, DiNozzo, and McGee, from NCIS."

"My name is Mister Hong, and I assure you, I run a very clean establishment."

"Well, that's good to know, but we're not here about immigration, or anything like that."

"Then please get to it. Men like the three of in a place like this tend to make paying customers nervous."

McGee stepped forward. "Does this mean anything to you, sir?"

He showed him the information on the notecard that Abby had written down. The name of the substance they'd found on the senator's body was in Chinese, but spelled out phonetically in English.

Hong was impressed against his will, and a little nervous, although he didn't let them see that last part. "This is our massage oil. I will spare you of its ingredients, but please—how did you connect it here?"

"It turned up as a lead in out homicide investigation."

Hong worked even harder not to panic. "Who is dead?"

McGee nodded. "These men."

So as to keep the shock factor down, McGee showed Hong the service photos of the murder victims. He studied them for a few beats.

"How unfortunate. You have my full cooperation."

"Thank you. Have you seen either Senator Hildebrand or Lance Corporal Ian Baranski around here in the last few days?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact. I saw the senator perhaps the day before yesterday, and his lackey a few hours later."

"Was the senator alone?"

Hong shook his head. "He was not, and he had already come and gone by the time Baranski arrived."

"Why was he looking for him?"

"He did not say, but he seemed to de distressed, and in rather a hurry."

McGee was jotting notes down as fast as he could. "Alright. Do you recall who the senator was with? You mentioned a second ago that he wasn't alone."

"I am afraid I do not recall, sir." Hong replied patiently with an air of maddening calm. "We were busy that day."

"Then how do you remember them at all?"

"It is not often that receive guests from so far down south like that. Those accents weren't hard to miss."

"Then do you think it would be possible to check to see who was here with Senator Hildebrand that day?"

"But of course." the proprietor gave a deep bow. "Just a moment."

Hong retreated to the reception desk, and worked together with the woman behind it to pull up the corresponding information. He was back very quickly.

"Here you go." Hong handed him a business card. "Now if you will please excuse me, I have other matters to attend to."

McGee thanked Hong for his help, and when he was gone, he turned back to Gibbs and Tony.

"You two noticed exactly _how_ cooperative that man was, right?"

They nodded, and Gibbs added, "What does the card say?"

He regarded the back before groaning. "It says John McGee."

Unable to help himself, Tony chortled. "Sounds about right, McProbius, because nobody on this team has even a _relative_ that does anything small, do they? All we need _now_ is for _Abby's_ d—"

He fell silent very quickly when he saw that Gibbs was fixing him with a super death stare. Pleased his messaged had been conveyed, Gibbs looked to McGee again.

"We're going to collect your old man," he told him as Tony went to be with his own father. "But not just yet."

"Because we're currently occupied with Tony's." McGee finished.

"Yes, and I'll be sending DiNozzo to go get him. I also expect you to not have any objections to watching your father's interrogation from the other side of the glass. Do you understand why?"

"Because you and my father are both alphas, but also because you want me to keep my objectivity."

"Bingo. There will probably also be some lingering resentment on his end, from the falling out." Gibbs continued. "I know you're a stronger man than your father, but the last thing we need is to give him an opening to get inside your head."

"I understand, boss."

Gibbs gave him a ghost of a smile in response.

All at once, though, McGee felt like he was being watched. He just wasn't sure who around them would have a reason. Turning, he saw the receptionist beckoning to him. She was almost frantic.

McGee crossed the space in big, fast strides. "Yes?"

"This might help, too, but you did not hear it from me."

She pressed a slip of paper into his hands and then hurried away, to a back room. McGee felt perplexed. He felt even more so when he read the new message. It was very simple—someone's name.

 _Lan Zhao._

"What's _that_ say?" Gibbs asked when McGee reached him again.

"It says 'Lan Zhao.' She must have been in the room with Hildebrand and the mystery guest." McGee quickly put the paper in an evidence bag and pocketed it. "Let's talk about this at NCIS."

"Good call. Besides, I think the DiNozzos are about to cancel each other out."

Teacher and student looked over to see that the conversation that the DiNozzo men had been having had since dissolved into some kind of silly argument about how long it had been since they'd last seen each other. McGee briefly wondered what kind of spin Ziva was going to bring to the dynamic when she was introduced to Senior. He couldn't wait to find out. The next second, however, he was thanking his lucky stars that his own father-in-law-to-be was quite normal.

But all McGee wanted right then and there was just hang out with his family so he could forget about the absurdity that was today.


	40. Senior

Back at the ranch, Jenny and Ziva were on the catwalk together, overlooking the bullpen. They were both at standstill. Jenny didn't even have anything to do—a rarity. Ziva just hadn't had any new tasks delegated to her. So, they stood together, watching everyone else in the room.

Not long into that, they learned about the others having already found Senior. Now Ziva felt nervous.

* * *

"Is the baby messing with you?"

"Shockingly, no." Ziva confessed. "I am just nervous, director, because this was not how I envisioned meeting Senior."

"Of course not." Jenny met her subordinate with a wry grin. "When we went to Stillwater, so I could meet Leroy's father, we found Jackson in the front garden. He was arguing with a neighborhood cat."

"Excuse me?!"

"The little stinker had made off with Jackson's garden shed keys."

"How did you get them back?"

"We distracted the cat by tossing it a few loquats from Jackson's loquat tree."

"Then the cat dropped the keys, yes?"

"Yes. We gave the keys back to Jackson after that." Jenny finished. "He and I have been friends, ever since."

Baffled, but only because of the absurdity, the officer said, "But that is how you met Gibbs' father."

"Yep. Life is unpredictable, Ziva, even when it comes to meeting the parent of your future-intended."

 _"_ _My_ life is never going to be quiet again."

"And you're just now figuring that out?"

Ziva opened her mouth to fire back, but her attention was called away by the elevator door opening. Tony and McGee piled out, as did Gibbs, and a man who could have only been Tony's father.

"We'll join them... one moment... there!"

She had been typing out a text on her phone, but after hitting send and pocketing the device, she gave Ziva an impish grin.

"That was to Abby—she won't want to miss this."

* * *

She made it to the viewing room in record timing.

She even appeared so suddenly that she'd actually burst into the room, causing her friends to jump.

"What'd I miss?" Abby asked excitedly, looking around.

Jenny greeted her. "Hey there, Hurricane Abby. You got up here quick."

"I usually just deliver something and then leave again. It isn't often that I come up here just to _watch."_

"That's tr—"

Jenny was interrupted by the arrival of Tony and McGee.

"Gentlemen?" she questioned.

McGee nervously shifted his weight from one foot to another. "Gibbs told us in the hallway just now to stay out of his hair."

"We don't have anywhere to be, just yet." Tony added.

Jenny caved and waved them in. "Come here, but close the door."

They followed through, and soon they were at the glass with her, Abby, and Ziva. They were watching Senior. Unlike almost every other person they'd seen in that room, _this_ man showed no fear. He was... eager.

"So that's him?" Abby queried.

Tony nodded. "Mhm. That's my dad."

Beside Abby, Ziva sighed. "And my future father-in-law. When this is all over, he and _my_ father start connecting the dots or whatever, _that_ will be a most interesting dinner."

Tony stewed quietly, annoyed with himself that this particular thought process hadn't occurred to him yet. Falling in love with an assassin led to tricky things. Like weird family dinners.

Jenny rolled her eyes. "Focus, children."

They all watched Senior perk up at the sight of Gibbs entering the interrogation room.

"Gibbs!" he cried in relief as he took the chair opposite him. "I'm an open book, and I'll answer whatever you want, but _I_ have a million questions!"

"I appreciate your cooperation, Senior, and I bet your first question is 'What the heck is going on?' Am I wrong?"

"No."

"We were looking for you because your fingerprints came up on a key piece of evidence in our homicide investigation."

"That's a new one…"

Gibbs laid out a photograph of Audrey, from a folder he'd brought in. "Do you know this woman?"

Senior looked at the picture and then back at his acquaintance. "I can't say that I do. Any man would be lucky enough to be with her."

"Then do you know _them?"_

A picture of the Hildebrands now covered the one of Audrey.

"Those are Senator Clark Hildebrand, and his wife. Julia, I think."

"Do you _know_ them?" Gibbs pressed.

"Not personally, no. I've just heard here and there that he wants to run for president, in due course."

This was news. "Where'd you hear _that?"_

Senior shrugged. "Around. I live in New York, and I hang out at this little café near the Stock Exchange, on Wall Street, right?"

Gibbs indulged him because he wanted to see where this was going. "Okay..."

"Well, the business tycoons also hang out there, too. Hildebrand's name came up in gossip I overheard last month."

"Even the family is from Louisiana."

"It's what I _heard."_

Gibbs was already impressed against his will by the level of seriousness that Senior was displaying. From the yarns that Tony had spun about him, he'd half-expected this conversation to be way harder than it had been so far. But it wasn't. Anthony DiNozzo Senior was actually an alright kind of guy.

Maybe he'd invite him over for a beer and a steak.

"When did you get into town?" Gibbs wanted to know.

Senior thought about it. "Yesterday afternoon, but I've been sleeping off the jet-lag."

"On a trip over from New York?"

"I was just away in London, but I flew straight here because I wanted to see Tony—it's been way too long. You all just found me first."

"We did." Gibbs laid out yet another picture. "Are you familiar with either half of this duo?"

This newest picture was of Sarah and Clementine. At the sight of them, his eyes widened.

"I don't know her, but _her,_ I _have_ talked to before."

Senior had indicated Clementine first, but was genuinely surprised to see Sarah. Then he looked over to the mirror. He couldn't see through it, he still managed to give the people on the other side a start by actually zeroing in on McGee.

"Hey!" Gibbs rapped in knuckles on the tabletop. "Over here!"

Senior looked at him. "This young woman has a Biblical name, though. Umm… Hannah? No… Esther? No, that can't be right… Sarah? Yes! That was it!"

"Okay, chief, slow down. How do you remember her?"

"She wrote a rather arresting series of articles about her favorite places to travel. New York is on that list, and Sarah bumped into me while writing, but you… don't really care… forget it."

Gibbs was looking at Senior with an expression that said he wasn't invested in his ramblings at that exact moment.

"Oh, well." Senior sighed. "Sarah probably doesn't even remember me, anyway."

He swept a hand over the array of pictures.

"What _is_ going on? It's one of these people that's dead, isn't it? I wouldn't know _anything."_

"No?" Gibbs questioned.

 _"_ _No._ I've been working at the business center at the Adams House, or else asleep."

"Then when did you eat dinner?"

"Around eight—I'd only gotten up because I was positively starving."

"Where'd you eat?"

"The hotel restaurant." recalled Senior. "It's called Coriander Avenue. I'm sure you can ask someone for my receipt, or something."

His tone and passion about his own alibi were now so convincing that Gibbs was _almost_ ready to cut him loose. There was just one thing to check on.

Without any preamble, Gibbs disclosed, "Senator Hildebrand is dead."

Senior's reaction was one of genuine shock here, too. "My God! What's happened?"

"We're still trying to get to the bottom of that."

Now that Senior had more of a full picture, he sat up straighter in his chair. "How in God's name did you make the jump to _me?"_

Gibbs pulled the last item of the folder out—Audrey's threat, contained now in an evidence bag. "We found your prints on this note."

Senior gave it a once-over, and then looked at Gibbs, appalled. "This looks like a _threat!"_

"Well spotted."

Senior pointed to the pictures again. "To one of these people?"

"Correct. Do you know anybody by the initials of SM?"

"Other than Sarah McGee, no, but she changed her last name to Cartwright, awhile back. What?"

Gibbs' attitude had now changed to skepticism. "Why _do_ you remember so much about Sarah Cartwright?"

"I read her things from time to time because she's a really good writer, Gibbs, nothing more."

"But you don't know anyone else with SM for their initials?"

"I don't." Senior looked at the threat letter again. "And I _touched_ this? I… Oh…"

His eyes flashed as he experienced a major epiphany.

"Cough it up, chief." Gibbs encouraged.

"There was this guy... He was at Coriander Avenue, and he was in uniform, too."

"Army?"

Senior shook his head. "No. Navy."

"Do you think you tell a sketch artist what he looks like?"

"Yes."

Gibbs got to his feet and gathered everything back into the folder. "Okay, Senior. I'll go scare one up for you."

He merely nodded, already concentrating on the memory.

Gibbs left out to the hallway and feigned annoyance when he saw that Jenny, Abby, Tony, McGee, and Ziva were waiting for him.

"No Ducky or Palmer? This is almost the whole kit and caboodle."

Ziva furrowed her brow and looked to Tony. "What is 'kit and caboodle'?"

He heaved a very dramatic, but very playful sigh. "This one's tough. Probie? Abby?"

They both joined their friends and did their best to explain this particular euphemism to Ziva. Feeling like the foster parents that they were to the other four, Jenny and Gibbs brought up the rear as they all made their way to the lift.

"So?" Jenny said to Gibbs in a tone of prompting.

"So… _what?"_

"Senior."

 _"_ _My_ old man is in Pennsylvania, but Tim's is local, and Tony's and Ziva's are both visiting. _Abby's_ dad is the only one really missing now."

Jenny actually laughed. "That's cute, Leroy, but I meant do you believe in Senior's innocence?"

"I do, but we still have to cover all of our bases."

Jenny laughed and patted Gibbs on the arm. "Good answer."

* * *

Everything Senior had said and done totally checked out.

With no small amount of hacking on McGee's part, they even found footage of him at the hotel restaurant, accidentally colliding into the mystery suspect. The whole thing was completely innocent: because the man in the Navy uniform had dropped a file folder he'd been carrying with him, the contents exploded everywhere after Senior accidentally collided with him. Senior was a gentleman and in no hurry, so he'd made sure the man was alright before cleaning up the mess himself and handing the papers back. Somewhere in all of that had been Audrey's note. The man in the uniform thanked him, and they went their separate ways after that.

But in place of that, Gibbs had a new round of questions.

Why did this other man even have the threat in the first place? Was he the mysterious SM? Was he pulling the strings belonging to Hong? Had he committed the murders? And what did _John McGee_ have to do with _any_ of this? How high did this whole thing even go?

At least Senior _was_ actually innocent.

They _could_ cut him loose, after all.

Gibbs held open the interrogation room door for Senior. He had come back to spring him free, but Senior was yet at the table, feeling puzzled.

"That's _it?"_ he said blankly.

"Do you _want_ to be arrested?"

"No…?"

"Thank God, because I have an investigation to run, and a bunch of people who want to meet you properly, chief." Gibbs made a beckoning motion. "Come on."

When they arrived in the bullpen, they saw it was to find all of the members of the Major Critical Response Team present, as well as Jenny, Abby, Ducky, and Palmer. This was going to be good.

"Were you _all_ watching the interrogation?" Senior said in amusement.

Ducky sidled up to him and shook his hand. "Not all of us, my good man. I'm Doctor Donald Mallard, but do call me Ducky."

"Okay, Ducky. I can do that." Senior moved on to the coroner's companion. "If I just spoke to Ducky, that would make _you_ Jimmy Palmer, wouldn't it?"

"Yes," Palmer said as they also shook hands. "But how did you know?"

"I read Deep Six."

Jimmy groaned, as he did whenever he remembered that book. "Of course you did."

"But as I recall, Mister Jalmer had a happy ending."

Just as quickly, Palmer perked up. "Oh, yeah. That's right."

Jenny was next.

"Since you're not in any of the books," Senior posited. "I'm going to go out on a limb and say that you're the boss."

"Very true." she laughed. "I'm Director Jenny Shepard. It's really good to meet you."

"Likewise, director. Likewise."

After Jenny was McGee, and Senior looked at him expectantly.

"McGee, do you keep my son in line?"

"To the best of my ability."

"That's all I can ask for, and I'm sorry if I made you uneasy at the parlor." Senior gave him a pat on the arm. "It's just that I noticed the resemblance between you and Sarah. That's what I saw first."

McGee gave a nervous laugh. "Oh. Okay, good.

After a read-through of Deep Six, it had really tickled Senior to realize that most of the people in the book had real-world counterparts in Tony's life. Tony even confirmed this for him in a phone call. That conversation had even turned into Senior learning all about Tony's friends and how he'd quite enjoyed McGee's novel (but wasn't really to let slip that particular detail to the author). He'd also rambled about Ziva for awhile. But still, Senior had remembered every detail of the call.

So he moved on to the next person. "Abby Sciuto, I presume?"

"You presume correctly." Abby giggled. "Now I see where your son's charm comes from."

Not wanting Senior to tell an embarrassing story, Tony steered Ziva into his line of sight.

She did her best to not be _too_ shy. "Hello."

"Ziva?" Senior guessed knowingly.

"I am she."

"So you're the one who has been lighting up my son's life?"

"Yes, and he has also been lighting up _my_ life. Look." Ziva showed Senior her engagement ring. "Tony asked me to marry him. I said yes."

In response to this announcement, Senior hugged Ziva close in a warm hug. She melted into it.

"Ziva, I'm _so_ happy to meet you, and I'm so happy for you and Tony." Senior told her as they pulled apart. "I would love to take you both out to dinner."

"We would love nothing more, also. Perhaps after this case is over?"

Senior nodded. "Sounds good to me."

As they continued to talk, Gibbs unceremoniously stuffed a scrap of paper into Tony's front suit jacket pocket.

"Boss?" Tony questioned.

"It's the address of our next guest. Why don't you drop Senior off, while you're out?"

"On it." Tony put on his overcoat and grabbed the keys to his Crown Victoria. "I'll be back in two shakes of a lamb's tail."

"Good man."

The DiNozzo men left the bullpen, the future Missus DiNozzo tagging along with them because she wanted to see them off.

Abby broke the silence that the others had left in their wake. "Does anyone remember when we used to solve _normal_ cases?"

Her friends chuckled, and they all began to dissipate. The spell that had been keeping them together had broken. Gibbs ambled back to his desk, and McGee to his. Jenny was heading for the main staircase. Abby followed her lead and headed for the elevator so she could return to her own work area. It was business as usual again.

What a day.

Her only wish was for the case to be over. But when was life at NCIS ever that easy?

Never.

None of them knew it just yet, but the hardest part of the case was just around the corner.


	41. Something's Happened

After dropping Senior off, Tony double-checked the address that Gibbs had given him find that the workplace of Admiral John McGee was at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico. It was just far enough away from NCIS that Tony felt like he could gather his thoughts. He really needed to. McGee had been tagged out for this expedition because of the authority issues, and Gibbs had his hands full back at HQ, so... that left Tony.

But he was feeling on edge.

It wasn't even because the McGee family patriarch had been a jackass to his own children during their last encounter. Tony just couldn't put his finger now what it was.

All he knew was that it was a very good thing that he had been the one to make this run.

* * *

Tony had to work very hard not to groan when he reached John's office. He was there, but so was Ellis. Both were less than pleased to see him.

Ellis regarded him with a particularly tart look. "Special Agent DiNozzo, we have no qualms against you, but if you were sent by Tim or Sarah, you can turn around now."

"They didn't send me, m'am." Tony told her.

"Then what brings you by?"

"I was actually looking for the admiral."

John rose to his feet. "What is it?"

"I need to bring you in for questioning."

Ellis demanded, "What on earth for?"

Tony arched an eyebrow at John. "Sir, we know that you met with Hildebrand at the parlor. We also know about Lan Zhao, too."

 _"How?!"_

"We—"

But he was cut short by Ellis, who was now badgering her husband, and demanding to know what Tony was talking about. The discussion was quickly turning into an argument. Tony was flashing back to life with both of his parents.

Now he actually did groan.

This visit was going to take awhile.

* * *

Abby felt like she was going crazy.

She had a piece of information to deliver, but every time she tried, she was interrupted, or else, the baby made her feel sick. All she wanted to do was take a nap. And snuggle with Rubyjane.

But she had work to do.

Once agin, however, someone broke her train of thought. "Abs? You okay?"

"Hm? What?"

"You seem a little green."

Looking around, Abby realized that she'd made it all the way up to the MCRT bullpen without even thinking about it. Now Gibbs, Jenny, McGee, and Ziva were watching her closely.

"I'm fine." she told them. "The baby has been making me feel a tad topsy-turvy, but I'm fine."

"Good." Gibbs approved. "What do you got?"

"The make and model of the bullet that killed the senator—it was a Ruger LCRx."

Jenny reacted to this pronouncement first by wrinkling the bridge of her nose. "For a good gun that's relatively inexpensive, those are the way to go."

"Correct." said Ziva. "They are small, efficient, and lightweight."

Abby, Gibbs, and McGee stared.

Ziva rolled her eyes. "It is the weapon that Director Shepard and I were issued when we worked together in Israel."

"I haven't fired one in years," Jenny added. "But if you put a silencer on that gun, then it's perfect for a murder."

"There were no witnesses that we could find for Baranski's death because that was in Harbinger's Field, but nobody reported hearing around the time of _Hildebrand's_ death, either…" McGee recalled.

Gibbs turned back to Abby again. "Do you have anything else?"

Abby nodded. "The gun is registered to a man called Sebastian McCarthy, and yes, I realized that he is most likely the mysterious SM that we've been looking for, so I did some extra digging into his life to find an extra punchline."

"And…?"

"McCarthy was a lance corporal, too."

Now we're getting somewhere, Gibbs thought. "Good."

"But he's dead." Abby added on quickly.

The others all gave a collective sigh of dejection and in unison cried, "Abby!"

"What?" she protested. "I'm just the messenger, but that is _not_ the end."

"No?" said Gibbs in a tone that sounded like his buttons were being pushed.

"No." Abby confirmed. "Some time after McCarthy departed this life because of end-stage liver failure, his gun was then sold to a pawn shop, whereupon, it was _then_ sold to a man called Ezra Hong. This is him."

She showed them a picture on her tablet. It was a standard driver's license photo, but...

"Hong is the last name of the massage proprietor." Jenny remarked to Gibbs and McGee. "Is this who you saw?"

"Uh-huh. We talked to him, too."

Jenny spoke to Abby this time. "Is the gun in question the same one that killed Hildebrand?"

"I don't know y—"

This time Abby's interruption came by way of her tablet making noise about an incoming video call. She answered it quickly, and her heart did an unwanted flip when she saw her youngest sister at the other end. She was on the floor of her office with Scout parked firmly in her lap, doing her job as an anchor. She wasn't having a panic attack, but Scout had recognized the signs of her mistress' behavior and was working to prevent what could happen. It was only because of this that Abby had the confidence to speak to her sister.

"Clementine Mary Helen Sciuto," she said firmly. "What's wrong?"

Clementine did her best to not fall back to signing—a nervous habit. "Abby, I-I have some unexpected visitors, and a major crisis."

"One thing at a time. Who showed up?"

"Julia Hildebrand, and she brought her dog, and her kids."

"Okay. What's the crisis?"

"We can't find Sarah or Julia. They've been taken."

There was a ringing silence as they all processed this piece of blindsiding information. Abby wasn't sure of McGee's reaction, but she felt her legs buckle underneath her. Gibbs caught her and eased her into a chair.

In a gentle tone, Jenny said, "Abby, do you want me to talk to her?"

"No, director, but thank you."

She took a few steadying breaths, mostly for the baby's benefit because he or she was kicking like crazy. But she was still very quick to regain control of the situation again.

"Clem, what makes you so sure?" she asked her sister. "Why did Missus Hildebrand even show up?"

"She wanted to talk to Sarah about you-know-what, and they to talk out front. But that was fifteen minutes ago, and apparently, there was a commotion."

"What kind?" Abby pressed.

Clementine shrugged. "I don't know because we're on the fourth floor. Things were left behind, and the police have been called—"

She stopped when Junior Hildebrand came into view and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Miss Clementine, may I see that, please?" he was pointing to the tablet that she was making the call on.

"Here you go." she handed it to him. "Use both hands."

When Junior came into full view, Abby felt a surge of pity for him. He was a child who looked overburdened by responsibility.

"What's your name?" he asked the goth.

"I'm Abby." she said.

"Are you police, or NCIS?"

"I'm with NCIS. Do you know what that is?"

Junior nodded seriously. "Mama told us that that's the next best thing besides the police."

"She's totally right. Listen, do you see Clementine?"

"Yes."

"She's my sister," (Junior's eyes widened in surprise) "And I need for all of you to stay there with her."

Junior gave another serious nod. "Then what?"

"My friends are going to come get you so they can bring you to where I am right now." Abby replied.

Junior furrowed his brow. "At NCIS, right?"

"Yep. You all can stay here with me, and my friends will go look for your mama."

"And also Miss Sarah?" Junior wanted to know.

"Her, too."

"Good."

Abby gave the little boy a reassuring smile. "It was good to talk to you, Junior. Do you think you can hand the tablet back to Clementine now?"

He did as asked and went to sit back down again. When Clementine had her device, Abby spoke to her in a maternal tone.

"What all was left behind?" she asked.

"Sarah's favorite scarf was found outside, and one also one of Julia's gloves. The police told me to stay put in here."

"Okay. What did they say about the kids?"

Clementine thought about it and then admitted, "I blanked out, but I'm going to make sure that the kids aren't split up. I'm also keeping tabs on the dog."

"Very good. Is there someone like an officer posted at your office door?"

"Yep."

"Great. You sit tight, and keep an eye on things—one of us will be along very soon."

"Alright." Clementine said. "See you when we get there."

Both sisters hung up, and Abby finally looked to her fiancé. McGee looked like he was on the verge of having a total freak out.

"Talk to me." Abby walked over to him and held both of his hands to her midsection. "Come on, Tim."

He got to his feet. "I'll go wherever I'm needed, but I was just thinking—who gets to tell Tony that _he_ gets to tell _my parents_ what's happened?"

"I just took care of that." Jenny joined them again after having stepped away for a few minutes. "He should be telling your parents right now, Tim."

She was right.

The elder McGees hadn't noticed him step out to take Jenny's call, nor even his return, because they were still arguing with each other.

So Tony called over them. "Hey! That's enough now!"

Ellis tried to protest. "But—"

"You can do your fighting later, but we _have_ to go to NCIS."

"Right." nodded John. "To answer those questions."

"Actually, it's about Sarah now. Something's happened."

Both McGees fell silent as they digested the severity of Tony's words.

But it was too much for Ellis.

Before either of the others could begin to move quickly, she had fainted clean away.


	42. Interlude III

Watching the mother of one of his closest friends had never been high on his to-do list, but yet, Tony was treated to just that. Ellis had gone down like a sack of potatoes.

Tony moved quickly, lowering her to the floor, while John moved in to care for his wife. He had things under control. After that, Tony's first call was to 911, and once they assured him that help was on the way, he felt better. Nobody would blame him for not doing his part. A call to Gibbs was the second item on the agenda.

Unsurprisingly, Gibbs was irritated at the situation. At least Tony had been anticipating this. After a moment of quick thinking on his part, Gibbs instructed Tony to accompany the McGees to the hospital. If all checked out, he was to bring them to NCIS. Barring any new obstacle.

"Special Agent DiNozzo?"

He turned to see John approaching him.

The men were in the urgent care wing now. While Tony had been waiting at one end by a vending machine, John was just emerging from Ellis' room, about halfway down. The look on his face was unreadable.

"How is she?" Tony asked when John finally reached him.

"Ellis is fine. According to the doctor, she didn't even get a concussion. My wife just reacted strongly to the news about Sarah." he paused and studied Tony. "Did you even say what it was?"

Tony shook his head. "Uh-uh."

John chose his next words carefully. "In your opinion, would it be better for Ellis to be there when we find out?"

"Yes. I also think that at this rate, it would be best if we were at NCIS." Tony replied. "You said that Ellis is fine, but will she _okay?_ To leave the hospital soon?"

"They're taking care of that as we speak… although by now, I really owe her an explanation." John shuffled his feet. "Ellis and I aren't monsters—we just brought up with older ideas. We still care for and love Tim and Sarah. We _do."_

Tony didn't hide his annoyance; he could see straight through the façade. "Try telling them that. The rest of us already know about the falling out."

John arched an eyebrow at Tony's clipped tone. "Do you have to be so short with me? I didn't even know you before the gala."

"I _do_ have to be short with you because you and your wife were so unkind to your kids. I'll come around when, or if, they do."

The older man tried again. "Then are you a dad?"

"My partner and I have our first baby on the way."

"One day, understand that it'll be your job as their father to give them a strong dose of reality—even when they're an adult."

"I would never ice them out, tell them to live elsewhere, or humiliate them." Tony said seriously. "That's not love. It's cruelty."

John found himself shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "Just how close _are_ you to my son and my daughter, Special Agent DiNozzo?"

"They're as good as a brother and a sister to me."

"Let me guess—only child?"

"Correct. I will defend Tim and Sarah, and love them both, until the day I die."

Tony genuinely cared for the McGee siblings as though they were actually related to him. That would never change. Never. But now that he was alone with the McGee patriarch, he was going to take every chance he could to remind him that someone still care about his kids' best interests. And sanity.

It wasn't lost on John just what Tony was doing. He was also impressed against his will that he was being met with defiance at every other turn. John suspected he could go all day without breaking a sweat.

So, he had no choice but to let the sleeping dogs lie.

Right as John came to this conclusion, his thoughts were derailed by the approach of his wife. He wanted to put on some kind of poker face until they were sitting down to hear the news about Sarah. As far as John could tell, Ellis looked to be herself, and was not pleased about being pushed in a wheelchair by a nurse. But it was hospital policy.

"I've been fully discharged." Ellis informed them. "Is it time to go?"

"Yes, dear." John told her as they all began to head towards the elevators.

"You guys can wait by the door while I bring the car around." Tony said. "It shouldn't take long."

The McGees agreed to this, and nothing more was mentioned about the matter.

As he went to collect them at the hospital entrance, Tony realized that he didn't blame either McGee child for how they felt about their parents. They weren't nice people. Their affection was obviously forced. They were even full of themselves, but wouldn't see the forest for the tress about it. Neither parent was a good long-run influence. The elder McGees were toxic.

The next second, Tony was also glad that neither of his parents had ever been this bad to him. He also knew that he and Ziva wouldn't be those kinds of parents, either. They were going to be _better._

But as his thoughts about parenthood wandered, he began to wonder what Gibbs and Jenny were up to.

* * *

Over at NCIS, just as they were constructing an idea of who would go to collect Clementine and her unlikely posse, Jenny took a call that had her looking peeved by the time she hung up.

"What's wrong?" asked Gibbs.

He, McGee, Abby, and Ziva gathered around her.

Jenny spoke in a tone of trying not to lose what was left of her cool. "I just received a call from an anonymous tipster. Does the name Lan Zhao mean anything to any of you?"

"That's the name on the slip of paper that the receptionist gave me at the parlor." McGee said in surprise. "She gave it to me, and I put it in an evidence bag."

"Which is now presently where?" pressed Jenny.

"Abby's lab."

"It's true, director." Abby chimed in. "I've even signed for it already."

"Very good." Jenny praised. "The tipster's informed me that Lan Zhao is dead."

"What the hell?" her company squawked as one.

Jenny ignored their outburst. "The tipster also said that the body is in the old killing fields, just outside of town."

"Harbinger's Field, m'am?" suggested McGee.

"Correct, and yes, I'm very well aware that that was where Lance Corporal Baranski's body was found."

Nobody had to say it, but by this point, they'd pieced together that the tipster was most likely the receptionist.

McGee indulged Jenny. "I don't suppose that the tipster was generous enough to tell you who Zhao's killer is?"

"Ezra Hong, the parlor's proprietor."

Everybody stared. Why couldn't they ever get run-of-the-mill cases anymore?

With a great amount of self-restraint, Jenny only just refrained from rolling her eyes. "Yes, I also know that it isn't common to get things handed to us in a case like this, but it's never a good idea to look a gift horse in the mouth, is it? This _will_ help us to find Sarah and Julia. It's the best, and the biggest lead we have."

Gibbs nodded. "That's definitely also correct."

Knowing that this was probably going to be the closest she would ever come to uttering any version of, "You're right," Jenny swallowed her pride and cut her losses. But there was a small hint of a lopsided grin on her face.

"In any event, I'm stepping in to divvy up to labor." she announced. "I would like for McGee to go out to Harbinger's Field, and to alert Ducky and Palmer. Fingers crossed that they don't fall down a hole, or whatever, like they always do."

Jenny turned to Abby.

"Please go collect your sister and the others."

"I—pardon?"

Abby had thoroughly been expecting Jenny to send her back to the lab, not out into the field.

"Clementine will be happy to see a familiar face, but I'm certain that she'll be extra glad to see her big sister. There are also four small children and a dog to wrangle."

"And I am up for your challenge." Abby decided.

"Just what I want to hear." Jenny moved from her to Ziva. "I understand that you've got your bad ankle working against you, so that means you're going to file missing persons reports. Join me in my office when you're done."

Ziva nodded. "Yes, m'am."

Satisfied, Jenny turned now to Gibbs, her eyes alight with silent laughter; he was really going to hate what she was about to say.

"I even have a job for _you,_ Special Agents Gibbs." she purred. "It's one that only _you_ can do."

"What, pray tell, is that, director?" Gibbs asked without missing a beat.

"You get to meet McGee's parents in the garage when Tony arrives with them. You _also_ get the pleasure of sitting down with John McGee to find out what the _hell_ he knows. God forbid we get any _more_ interruptions."

Abby, McGee, and Ziva could already see Gibbs working double time to not lob a diatribe at Jenny. It was almost funny.

Gibbs' tone was begrudging when he answered, "Your wish is my command. Where will DiNozzo be?"

"Turning around to go out to Harbinger's Field. I'm going to call him in a second."

Gibbs grinned to himself, knowing that this new development would surely make Tony strew for awhile. It made up for Jenny issuing orders to his team and then making him stay behind. He could live with that.

Looking around, he saw that Abby, McGee, and Ziva hadn't moved. They were too busy smirking about the exchange that had just happened.

"What are you all waiting for?" he barked. "You heard the lady—there are jobs to be done!"

Everybody scattered after that.


End file.
